Understanding how to protect your face and mouth is important, not just sometimes, but all the time. A dental accident can occur at any time, whether it be through physical activity or during sleep. If your teeth are not protected, you’re in danger of developing headaches, tooth wear and tooth fractures.
Dental mouthguard help prevent injuries to:
- Lips
- Tongue
- Jaw
- Gums
- Teeth
Dental mouthguards are designed to protect and cover the upper and lower teeth through the lining of your tongue and cheek. What is also important to address is that a mouthguard that doesn’t fit around your teeth properly can cause more damage than protection. Therefore, it is important to address the type of mouthguard you need for minimal impact on your teeth and gums.
So, Do You Need A Custom-Fitted Mouthguard?
There are a few factors to this that we’ve addressed above, but we break them down further below. In order to determine if you’re a candidate for a custom-fitted mouthguard, the following areas need to be considered:
- Do You Grind Your Teeth At Night? – A custom-fitted mouthguard can help prevent damage to your teeth that occurs during sleep. This is known as teeth grinding, where your upper and lower teeth clench and grind together. This can cause wear and tear on your teeth and introduces facial pain, jaw soreness and headaches. If you grind your teeth at night, a custom-fitted mouthguard is a worthy option. Read here to learn about the other types of mouthguards available.
- Price Range – Custom-fitted mouthguards are more expensive than over-the-counter mouthguards, which is an important factor that needs consideration. If your price range is low, then a custom-fitted mouthguard may be out of your price range. Sometimes, your oral health conditions may require you to pay more than you want.
- Protection Level – Understanding how much protection you need is also important. This depends on whether certain oral health conditions are progressively damaging your oral health by playing regular sports and you need your teeth to be protected. This basically means that your lifestyle choices will help decide this.
- Comfort Level – Boil-and-bite mouthguards are more affordable but they’re made out of rubber, and their material also makes it hard to breathe and speak. If you’re seeking a more comforting solution, the dentist will mould an impression of your teeth to build a custom-fitted mouthguard of your choice.
If you’re seeking support with a custom-fitted mouthguard, then the dentist is the best place to determine this. Contact us at Springvale Dental Smiles today and let us help you!