Major Reasons Why Dentists Recommend Mouthguards

Mouthguards are appliances to protect your teeth and gums. That said, it helps if you understand custom-fitted mouthguards fit and protect your teeth much better than over-the-counter mouthguards. Nightguards help ease bruxism or teeth grinding. The dentist near you recommends children and adults wear mouthguards during contact sports or activities like biking.

What Precisely Are Mouthguards?

Mouthguards are merely dental appliances to cover your teeth. Mouthguards protect your teeth, tongue, gums, and cheeks from trauma from sporting injuries and teeth grinding.

Children and adults might need mouthguards, and the dentist, Chino, CA, might recommend one if you or your child are involved in contact sports like basketball, lacrosse, football, hockey, or soccer, putting you at a higher risk of getting hit in the face. In addition, taking part in non-contact sports with an increased risk of falling, including ice skating, gymnastics, and biking, might also bring a recommendation from the dentist to wear a mouthguard.

What Kind of Mouthguards Can You Have?

Mouthguards are divided into two categories. The first is to protect your teeth from trauma from sporting activities or other athletic pursuits. The second is made to protect the teeth of patients suffering from bruxism or teeth grinding. Both varieties of appliances serve different purposes and appear and feel different. There are also various ways patients can get mouthguards.

The kind of mouthguards you can get include:

• Custom Fitted Mouthguards: the Dentist in Chino, CA, takes molds of your teeth to customize a mouthguard fitting comfortably over your teeth and in the mouth. Additional costs are involved in getting custom-fitted mouth protectors. However, they provide optimal fit and protection. Custom-fitted mouthguards are made exclusively for you. You can use it for protection from trauma during athletic competition or use it when sleeping as a nightguard if you grind your teeth. Your dentist’s custom-fitted mouthguards are of the highest quality and provide the best protection for your teeth and mouth.
• Boil and Bite Mouthguards: Thermoplastic material helps make boil and bite mouthguards which you can shape at home to fit over your teeth. First, you must place this appliance in hot water to soften it. After that, you can put the softened mouthguard into your mouth and use your fingers to adjust it onto your molars and front teeth. When you feel the device is in the correct position, bite down on it for about 20 seconds. You can then remove the appliance and run it under cold water. Repeat the steps to reshape the mouthguard until you get the right fit.
• Adjustable Over-The-Counter Mouthguards:Sliding pieces resting between your teeth when sleeping is what adjustable night guards include.
• Stock Mouthguards:Stock mouthguards come preformed and ready to wear. These appliances aren’t created specifically for your teeth and rarely fit well. These one size fits all mouthguards are bulky, fit poorly, and make breathing difficult. You get the least protection from over-the-counter stock mouthguards.

Where Can You Purchase Mouthguards?

Purchasing mouthguards are not challenging because you can easily find them in sports goods stores and many online retailers. If you are searching for an affordable variety and look to satisfy your needs with stock mouthguards or the boil and bite variety, you can quickly find them from various retailers. However, if you want a custom-fitted mouthguard, they are only available with dental professionals.

Benefits Of Wearing Mouthguards

Repairing or replacing missing teeth is an expensive affair besides being painful. However, wearing a mouthguard when involved in athletic activities helps to avoid chipped or lost teeth, soft tissue damage to the lips, gums, tongue, and insides of the cheeks, and nerve damage to a tooth.

When you compare the costs of dental restorations, you will not hesitate to invest in a custom-made mouthguard to safeguard your teeth. These dental appliances prove a reasonable measure to protect your teeth than spending hundreds or thousands on expensive and painful dental treatments. If you are recommended a nightguard to protect against teeth grinding, the appliance also helps you avoid unnecessary dental treatments by keeping your teeth apart when sleeping.

There are many benefits to wearing mouthguards if involved in contact sporting activity or any other non-contact sports where the risks of falling are high. However, it would help if you remember an investment in a custom-fitted mouthguard is a better option than over-the-counter varieties that don’t offer sufficient protection.

Schedule an Appointment

Interested in learning more about mouthguards? Call us now to schedule an appointment with our dentist near you at Ramona Dentistry in Chino, CA. Our dentist also cater to patients living in Diamond Bar, Pomona, Narod, Upland, Ontario, Ontario Ranch, Chino, Los Serranos, Rolling Ridge, Chino Hills, and nearby communities.