Customized mouthguards protect the teeth, gums, and bite, supporting oral health. They help prevent damage from teeth grinding during sleep and impacts during physical activities. A dental lab creates these durable guards to fit your patients’ teeth and mouth shape accurately. Here are five benefits of a dental mouthguard:
1. Enhanced Oral Protection
Teeth grinding, also called bruxism, involves forceful teeth clenching. Mouthguards shield teeth from these pressures, preventing chewing surfaces and biting edges from wearing down, cracking, or chipping. Night guards create a cushioned barrier between the upper and lower arches to prevent them from wearing down and halt grinding and related enamel erosion. A dental lab can manufacture night guards according to patients’ needs:
- Hard Acrylic: Hard acrylic guards are designed for patients who need rigid, non-flexible support. These guards are easy to repair or adjust to fit patients’ needs.
- Soft Guard: A soft night guard is usually used by younger patients or those with mild bruxism.
- Hard/Soft Combination: A combination mouth guard consists of two layers. The polyurethane inner layer rests comfortably against a patient’s teeth and gums. A co-polyester outer layer provides added durability.
2. Reduced Jaw Pain
The pressure from chronic teeth grinding can lead to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Symptoms include facial soreness, jaw popping, aches around the ear, and difficulty chewing. Night guards reduce the impact of grinding forces across the jaw joint. This takes mimizes TMJ symptoms and helps prevent inflammation and alignment issues.
3. Improved Athletic Safety
Some dental labs create custom athletic mouthguards that act as a shield to mitigate impacts. The guard secures the upper arch to prevent a patient’s teeth from slamming together. Cushioned dental guards also protect against root damage and avulsions from knocked-out teeth. Sports mouthguards safeguard the jaw from blows that may fracture the mandible.
High-quality sports mouthguards offer high tensile strength and a uniform density to provide a high compression percentage. Each mouth guard is custom-designed to align with patients’ teeth and fit their mouth size. This allows guards to fit comfortably and securely, while also maintaining oxygen intake and speech clarity.
4. Streamlined Dental Care
Oral appliances, such as night guards, may reduce a patient’s risk of cavities and the need for restorations. Reduced bruxism helps prevent the gradual erosion of teeth and cracks in dental work over time. A mouthguard also helps absorb grinding forces transferred across the jaw joint and gum tissues. This prevents the teeth and jaw from taking the full impact. Distributing pressure minimizes dental injuries, such as cracked or missing teeth.
5. Long-Lasting Durability
Store-bought night guards can break down after regular use. Customized appliances are made from durable materials that can withstand bite pressure over time. Professionally made bite guards resist punctures, tears, and deformation after months or years of continual grinding. 3D-printed night guards can be created from a digital scan. This verifies that your patients receive accurate, long-lasting dental appliances.
Visit a Dental Lab Today
Customized night and sports mouthguards provide leveling, cushioning, and shock absorption. Detailed fabrication reduces the likelihood of damaged teeth and oral health complications. Get quality mouthguards from quality dental labs today.
