What are Dental Mouth Guards?
There are many different types of dental mouth guards made for oral health. They are simply coverings that are made to be worn over the teeth, in order to protect them from injury during sports, or to prevent grinding of teeth. Many individuals grind their teeth at night or even during the day.
3 Most Common Dental Mouth Guards
- Stock Mouth Protector
These are preformed and are made to be worn immediately “out of the box”. These are generally cheap and can be bought at local sporting goods stores or department stores. The fit cannot be adjusted, but they will form to your mouth somewhat. Usually not the best option as they make breathing difficult and slur your speech. Most provide little to no protection and aren’t recommended too often by dentists.
- Boil and Bite Mouth Protector
These can also be purchased at sporting goods stores and provide a far better fit than stock mouth guards. These mouth guards are made of a specially designed thermoplastic material, which allows individuals to get a semi-custom fit mouth guard from their own home. The mouth guard is placed in boiling hot water, and the plastic begins to soften. It is then placed inside the mouth, and once bit down upon it begins to shape around your teeth and gum tissue. You can also use your finger and tongue pressure to aid in the shaping process.
- Custom-Fit Mouth Protectors
These are customized and created specifically for you and the dimensions of your mouth, by your dentist. To begin the dentist will make a mold or impression of your teeth and gums. Using this impression, a custom fabricated mouth guard is created to protect you from injury, and/or teeth grinding. These are usually more costly, as they are custom fit and depending on your specific needs, they will be made of special materials.
Many mouth guard only protect your upper teeth. However, depending upon your specific needs, a bottom row may be fit as well. Also depending upon your corrective needs your dentist will work with you to determine what type of mouth guard best serves your needs. In order to be most effective, the mouth guard should be cleaned and not restrict your daily function. If you are in need of a mouth guard contact Affordable Dental Care today.
