Mouth guards are used to protect your mouth from sports-related injuries, while nightguards are worn while you sleep to help protect your teeth from bruxism or grinding your teeth. Both are excellent at protecting your teeth.
Why do I need a mouth guard?
Accidents happen! If you or you (or your child) plays a contact sport like basketball, football, lacrosse, hockey, boxing, or soccer, a mouth guard can help protect your mouth. Some non-contact sports like skateboarding might pose a risk of injury too and could benefit from getting a mouth guard. Chipping a tooth or having your tooth knocked out can be painful and costly. By wearing a mouth guard, you can help limit or prevent these injuries. You can also prevent nerve damage to the tooth and any soft tissue damage to the gums, lips, tongue, and inside cheeks.
Why do I need a nightguard?
Many people with nighttime bruxism (tooth grinding) don’t even realize they are doing it until either their dentist or hygienist identifies the problem, when a sleeping partner notices noises at night and mentions it, or when they show up at the dental office with cracked or chipped teeth from nighttime clenching or grinding. Wearing a nightguard at night can help protect your teeth from excessive wear and damage caused by this habit.
How do I get one?
Getting a mouth guard or nightguard is easy! Both are fabricated and custom fitted at the dentist to provide the best fit to protect your mouth. Because of the special material, custom mouth guards are made from, they provide more comfort and protection compared to over-the-counter mouth guards. Most are fitted for the upper teeth; however, if you have braces, your dentist may recommend a mouth guard for the lower teeth as well.
Protecting your smile is important and can be easy thanks to these types of mouth guards! Think of them as inexpensive insurance policies for your teeth.
If you need either a mouth guard or a nightguard, just ask us at your next check-up. We can take care of it for you in a jiffy!
Contact us at 972-810-1255 or fill out one of our Contact Forms and we’ll get you taken care of!
