Sport Mouth Guards

Play hard, but protect your teeth.

For more than 50 years, the American Dental Association has promoted the protective value of wearing properly fitted mouth guards for those who participate in athletic activities that carry a risk of dental injury. Yet dental injuries remain the most prevalent type of orofacial injury sustained when participating in sports.

Custom-made sport mouth guards can go a long way toward protecting your teeth.

While the National Youth Sports Foundation reports that more than 5 million teeth will be knocked out in sporting activities this year, it is encouraging to note that the American Dental Association’s statistics show that more than 200,000 oral injuries are prevented in the United States each year because of mouth guards.

Consult a dentist to obtain a high-quality sports mouth guard

There are notable differences in the mouth guards you can purchase in a sporting goods store and the ones you obtain from a dentist.

Store-bought mouth guards don’t fit as accurately as custom fabricated types. The result can be an uncomfortable fit that also could affect the athlete’s ability to breathe and speak properly.

Night Guards

Night guards are another custom-fitted device to consider if your jaw frequently feels stiff, you have difficulty opening your mouth wide, your teeth are sensitive to cold drinks or your jaw muscles feel tired in the mornings. These symptoms could be caused by teeth clenching or grinding while you sleep. People who chronically grind their teeth may wear away their tooth enamel up to 10 times faster than those without abusive chewing habits. In addition to relieving neck, jaw, joint, head and shoulder pains, treating teeth clenching and grinding is cost effective, given the alternative of crowns, bridges, dentures or implants, which could be required to correct problems if left untreated.

Please ask us if you are a candidate for a night guard. Options include an extra comfort bite splint, which comes with a hard outer and soft inner surface, or a semi-rigid, flexible surface. These options are optimum for severe grinding and clenching cases and for patients who are allergic to metals or acrylics.

When allergic reactions are not an issue, acrylic night guards with a hard, non-flexible surface can be used for moderate grinding and clenching cases. These guards can include special clasps for improved retention

Bruxism