Most people don’t really think about the work their teeth do for them each day. Your teeth play a big role in tearing up the food you eat, giving clarity to your speech and shining your smile. However,If you habitually grind your teeth very hard or frequently, it may wear away the enamel on your teeth and cause pain. A simple dental appliance, a mouth guard, can be your teeth’s saver and keep your smile bright.
Here we will discuss a mouth guard what it is, the reasons for teeth grinding, how it can protect your teeth, various types of mouth guards, maintenance, and the significance of it for your oral health.
What is a mouth guard?
A dental appliance is a mouth guard that a person wears in their mouth. The primary function of the mouthguard is to protect the teeth from injury, either during contact sports or when a person unconsciously grinds their teeth while sleeping. In most cases, mouthguards are produced from a kind of soft, pliable plastic that can be easily slid over the upper teeth. Wearing a mouth guard is like putting a cushion between your teeth and whatever hits them which helps to absorb the impact, thus protecting not only your teeth but also your jaw.
Different kinds of mouth guards exist for various purposes. Some are intended to be used during sports to keep one’s face safe from injuries when playing a physical game. Others are made to be worn at night so as to avoid damage caused by grinding or clenching of teeth. The kind of mouth guard that a person is going to get depends on the reason they are using it.
What is Teeth grinding?
Teeth grinding can also be referred to as bruxism. This is when you grind, clench, or rub your teeth together. Usually, people who grind their teeth are not aware of that, because they do it in their sleep. It can be caused by stress, anxiety, an incorrect bite (when your teeth do not fit each other well), or even sleep disorders.
Grinding or clenching your teeth causes your top and bottom teeth to press against each other very tightly. In the long run, this can lead to the wearing down of the tooth enamel, tooth cracks, tooth sensitivity and even broken or loose teeth. It may also give you jaw pain and headaches, and cause damage to dental work like fillings or crowns.
How a Mouth Guard Protects Your Teeth From Grinding Damage
A mouth guard can do a lot to prevent your teeth from getting damaged due to grinding:
1. Provides a Layer of Soft Material Between Teeth
This mouth guard basically acts as a physical barrier between your upper and lower teeth. If a guard is placed between them, your teeth won’t be able to grind each other. So the guard absorbs most of the grinding energy, thus protecting the enamel of your teeth and preventing them from chipping, cracking, or breaking.
2. Reduces the Amount of Pressure and Wear Resulting
By the way, your enamel, i.e., the strong outer layer of your teeth, gets worn down very slowly due to continuous grinding. The mouth guard works by spreading the pressure over a greater area so that the pressure isn’t fully concentrated on a few teeth. As a result, the cycle of teeth wear and tear is broken, and the tooth surface thus remains safeguarded.
3. Helps Relieve Jaw and Muscle Strain
Besides wearing down your teeth, grinding also causes overworking and discomfort of your jaw muscles and joints. When it reduces the pressing force that your jaw muscles have to handle, wearing a mouth guard will make these muscles relax. In this way, symptoms such as jaw soreness and headache on waking up may be reduced.
4. Protects Dental Work
If dental crowns, fillings, bridges, or veneers are present in your mouth, biting and grinding can gradually wear out these restorations. A mouth guard is a barrier that covers the both your teeth and dental work, protecting them from the harmful effects of bruxism.
Types of Mouth Guards
There are several types of mouth guards available. The major ones are:
1. Custom-Made Mouth Guard
A custom mouth guard is a device made by a dentist that fits your mouth flawlessly. First, the dentist takes a mould of your teeth and then sends it to the dental lab. From the mould, the dental lab fabricates the mouth guard that will perfectly fit your mouth. These are generally considered the most comfortable and protective option, most notably if you grind your teeth while sleeping.
2. Boil, and Bite Mouth Guard
These mouth guards can be found in pharmacies. You soften them by putting in hot water, then, you bite into them to give them the shape of your teeth. They generally provide a better fit compared to stock or pre-made mouth guards but are still not as perfect as custom ones.
3. Stock Mouth Guard
These are ready-made and come in standard sizes. You can wear them directly out of the box, though they may not fit very well and be quite uncomfortable.
For the purpose of protecting one’s teeth from the damage caused by grinding, the dentist would in most cases, suggest a custom-made mouth guard as it fits well, lessens the chances of it falling off, and provides better protection.
Who Needs a Mouth Guard?
A mouth guard is usually suggested to:
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People who unintentionally grind or clench their teeth during sleep
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People who experience jaw pain, headaches, or tooth sensitivity upon waking up
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Those who have clearly worn down enamel
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Those who need to preserve their dental work
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Athletes and players of contact sports (for sports guards)
If you don’t know whether you need a mouthguard, you can have a dentist take a look at your mouth and tell you if wear from grinding or other problems are expected.
Benefits of Using a Mouth Guard
The use of a mouth guard for bruxism has lots of positive effects:
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Stops the loss of enamel and the wearing down of the teeth
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Lessens the pain in the jaw and the occurrence of headaches
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Creates a barrier between a person’s teeth and dental restorations such as crowns or fillings Could be beneficial for a person’s sleep
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It’s a good preventive measure that halts the development of dental problems and thus the need for expensive treatments
Conclusion
A mouth guard is one of the many dental tools available that works in a very simple way but is very effective. The first and foremost function of a mouth guard is to safeguard your teeth against the damage caused by the harmful habit of grinding or clenching your teeth, it is more beneficial during your sleep.
If anyone living in Richmond Hill requires dental treatment, then a visit to Red House Dental should be highly on their list of priorities. The highly skilled staff at Red House Dental will first evaluate your oral condition and then create a custom-fit mouth guard for you. They will also give you a thorough explanation of the treatment. The dental professionals at Red House Dental ensure that their patients have a clear understanding of the treatments, and they also help the patients develop trust and confidence by giving them a great, secure smile.
