Custom Sports Mouthguards
Mouthguards protect your teeth, gums, and jaws against injury when you participate in sports and other strenuous activities that can cause traumatic mouth injuries.
Who Should Wear a Mouthguard
Almost anyone who participates in competitive sports should wear a mouthguard. Often, people think that mouthguards are only necessary for contact sports like football, hockey, boxing, and the like, but many other competitive sports often result in serious orofacial injuries. Biking, for example, can often lead to traumatic injuries to the mouth. Horseback riding and gymnastics are other high-risk activities for orofacial injuries.
Often, it’s not the activity itself that governs your risk, it’s how hard you are working at the activity. Even something like aerial dancing can put you at risk for falls if you are constantly testing your limits.
Mouthguards are relatively inexpensive compared to prosthodontics. It’s worth investing in one even if you think your risk of orofacial injury is low.
Benefits of a Custom Sports Mouthguard
There are many types of mouthguards available. At the store, you can buy a stock mouthguard off the shelf, as well as a boil-and-bite mouthguard. However, it’s worth it to invest in a custom sports mouthguard because of all the benefits they offer.
Better protection: Stock mouthguards provide minimal protection against injuries to your teeth and gums. They don’t fit well, and they don’t anchor your teeth to prevent dangerous movement. Boil-and-bite mouthguards do offer better protection, but it’s not as much as you might think. Although biting into them forms them around your teeth, it can also make them very thin between your teeth. It doesn’t take very many impacts to break them down. If you choose this type of mouthguard, you should replace it often.
Better comfort: Custom mouthguards fit more comfortably. This makes them easy to wear and keeps them from being a distraction when you’re supposed to be focused on your sports or activities. This is especially important for kids who might be tempted to not wear an uncomfortable stock mouthguard.
Better performance: The better fit of custom mouthguards keeps them from being a distraction so you can focus your mind where it’s supposed to be. Custom mouthguards can also help you breathe more comfortably compared to other types. Plus, by helping to stabilize your jaw, a well-fitted mouthguard can make it easier for you to utilize your core strength.
Maintaining Your Mouthguard
With proper care and maintenance, a custom mouthguard can last for many years, depending on how hard and how often you use it.
To help your mouthguard last, follow these tips:
- Keep your mouthguard away from heat that can cause it to warp. Avoid direct sunlight and hot water. Never leave your mouthguard in the car on a sunny day.
- Keep your mouthguard away from pets and kids. Dogs are notorious for using mouthguards as chew toys.
- Store your mouthguard in a sturdy, ventilated case. We’ll supply you with a good case when you get your mouthguard, and you can request a replacement if you lose it.
- Wash your mouthguard according to instructions. Never use unapproved cleaning materials or put your mouthguard in boiling water.
- Keep your mouthguard away from heat that can cause it to warp. Avoid direct sunlight and hot water. Never leave your mouthguard in the car on a sunny day.
- Keep your mouthguard away from pets and kids. Dogs are notorious for using mouthguards as chew toys.
- Store your mouthguard in a sturdy, ventilated case. We’ll supply you with a good case when you get your mouthguard, and you can request a replacement if you lose it.
- Wash your mouthguard according to instructions. Never use unapproved cleaning materials or put your mouthguard in boiling water.
Take your mouthguard with you to dental appointments so our Torrance dental specialists can check it for damage and wear.
Nightguard
Nightguards protect your teeth from sleep bruxism (teeth clenching and grinding). This behavior can significantly damage your teeth quickly. That’s because you might clench your teeth with many times more force than you use to bite, and instead of contacting soft food, your teeth are contacting each other.
A nightguard separates your teeth to prevent them from damaging each other when you clench and grind your teeth.
Sleep Bruxism (Teeth Clenching and Grinding)
Sleep bruxism is fairly common, although not all bruxism is the same. Some people may just clench their teeth together. Others may clench their teeth, then move their jaws over one another, grinding their teeth down.
For some people, bruxism might be related to stress. For others, it might be linked to sleep apnea, and teeth grinding is part of the body’s attempt to keep the airway open. Often, though, we don’t have a clear explanation for why you’re grinding your teeth. We simply have to try to protect your teeth.
Since sleep bruxism happens while you’re asleep, it might take time to realize you’re doing it. Look for these signs and symptoms of sleep bruxism:
- A sleep partner reports that you clench and grind your teeth
- You wake up with grit in your mouth
- Your jaw muscles are sore in the morning
- You have a headache in the morning
- Your teeth are sensitive in the morning
- You notice that your teeth are shorter or flatter than they used to be
- A sleep partner reports that you clench and grind your teeth
- You wake up with grit in your mouth
- You notice that your teeth are shorter or flatter than they used to be
- You have a headache in the morning
- Your jaw muscles are sore in the morning
- Your teeth are sensitive in the morning
When you notice any signs or symptoms of sleep bruxism, you should talk to us about getting a nightguard to protect your teeth against accelerated damage. It’s also a good idea to get tested for sleep apnea, a treatable but potentially deadly condition.
Mouthguards and Nightguards in Torrance, CA
If you are looking to protect your teeth against trauma and wear, our prosthodontists can help with custom mouthguards and nightguards.
Please call (310) 378-9261 or use our online form today to request an appointment at our Torrance, CA, dental office.
