The two main purposes of mouth guards are to prevent you from grinding your teeth as you sleep, and to prevent sports-related injuries to the teeth.
A lot of people grind their teeth, a situation called bruxism by dental professionals. Although some people do it intentionally during the day, more people do it unconsciously at night, while they’re sleeping. Bruxism can lead to several oral problems, including damaged tooth enamel, jaw pain, irritated gums and worn-down teeth. If you grind your teeth loudly at night, you could also interrupt your spouse’s sleep.
Night Guards
The dentists at our Surrey dental clinic recommend a night guard for our patients who grind their teeth. A night guard resembles a sports mouth guard but is worn while you’re sleeping. It prevents you from grinding your teeth by putting a physical barrier between your upper and lower teeth. Your dentist in Surrey will take an impression of your teeth and send it to the dental lab that will make your customized night guard. The customization is necessary to ensure that you can breathe properly and the fit is comfortable. Because they’re so durable you’ll get up to ten years’ of use out of your night guard.
In addition to wearing a night guard, you can do a few other things to try to stop your teeth fromgrinding. For example, avoid alcoholic drinks that include caffeine (rum and coke, for example) because they can make teeth grinding more likely. You should also stay away from chewing gum and refrain from chewing on pens and other objects.
Please call for an appointment at our dental clinic in Surrey if you think you’re grinding your teeth as you sleep. It’s not too late to prevent potential problems!
Sports Mouth Guards
Does your child play hockey or another contact sport? Unfortunately, sports-related injuries are pretty common, but a mouth guard can protect your childs teeth. The vacuum-formed, custom-fitted mouth guards we offer at our Surrey dental clinic offer the best and most comfortable protection against these types of injuries.
We make mouth guards for children too!