Mouth Guards
Coronado, CA
Mouth guards aren’t just for athletes. These dental devices can address many different health issues in both children and adults, ranging from teeth grinding to sleep apnea relief. Made of plastic, a mouth guard fits over the teeth of your upper jaw and protects your teeth, tongue, gums, and cheeks from trauma.
Various types of mouth guards are available on the market today, including custom-fitted ones that are comfortable and effective. Dental mouth guards are available at Coronado Dentistry & Pediatrics in Coronado and the surrounding area. Call us at (619) 354-5136 to schedule an appointment or learn more about our services.
The Right Candidate for a Mouth Guard
Dental mouth guards are appropriate for both children and adults and can keep teeth protected from various risks. The American Dental Association recommends custom-fitted mouth protectors during any activity that might pose a risk of injury to the mouth. Many people also suffer from teeth clenching and grinding, especially at night. This leads to excessive wear and tear on the teeth, jaw pain, and severe headaches. A mouth guard covers the top teeth and separates them from the bottom teeth to prevent grinding and alleviate muscle tension caused by clenching.
People who have braces or other fixed dental appliances can also use mouth guards. Typically a mouth guard covers just the upper teeth, but patients can also receive one for braces on the lower teeth. A mouth guard remains especially important for anyone who has braces and participates in sports. Due to the metal brackets and braces, a hit to the face can lead to a significant injury to the mouth’s soft tissues.
“Dental mouth guards are appropriate for both children and adults and can keep teeth protected from a variety of risks.”
Creating a Custom Mouth Guard
The ideal mouth guard should be fitted to the patient’s mouth, stay in place comfortably and securely, and be relatively easy to clean. Custom-fitted mouth protectors are more durable and personalized to address the patient’s specific needs. When properly taken care of, they can last for years.
The creation of a dental mouth guard usually involves two appointments. We will take an impression of the patient’s teeth during the first appointment and make a model to create a personalized mouth guard. After creating the mouth guard, we will make sure that it fits properly during the second appointment. Our team will file down any rough edges and make any necessary adjustments to ensure that the device is comfortable.
“Custom-fitted mouth protectors are more durable and personalized to address the patient’s specific needs.”
When To Wear a Mouth Guard
Patients with night mouth guards should wear them every night. Like anything new, it may take a few days to get used to sleeping with it in place. As long as the mouth guard is comfortable and fits well, it should not take long to adjust. Patients must dedicate themselves to wearing their mouth guard consistently to experience its health benefits. Sporadic use will make the adjustment period harder and will be counterproductive to correcting the health problem.
Patients with dental mouth guards designed for wear during physical activity should wear them every time they participate in an activity that puts them at risk for injury to their mouth or teeth. Often, athletes take out their mouth guards and chew on them, which can cause them to break down or deform. Patients should follow all care instructions to keep them from wearing out prematurely.
“Patients must dedicate themselves to wearing their mouth guard consistently to experience its health benefits.”
A Treatment for Sleep Apnea and Snoring
Patients who snore or have mild to moderate sleep apnea may benefit from a dental mouth guard. During sleep apnea, a person temporarily stops breathing while asleep. This condition increases the risk of heart disease and stroke and can also cause excessive snoring.
A mouth guard for sleep apnea does not cover the teeth but instead pushes the lower jaw and tongue forward, keeping the airway open. This dental device can improve sleep quality and reduce the frequency and loudness of snoring. Mouth guards designed just to reduce snoring tend to work similarly to mouth guards for sleep apnea.
“A mouth guard for sleep apnea does not cover the teeth but instead pushes the lower jaw and tongue forward, keeping the airway open.”
Protecting the Mouth During Sports
Accidents can happen during any physical activity. A custom-fitted mouth guard designed for athletics will protect the soft tissues of the mouth and lips. It can also prevent significant tooth damage or even tooth loss. Any athlete can benefit from wearing a mouth guard, but it is especially helpful for anyone who plays a contact sport. The flexible plastic material absorbs the force of any hits to the face or teeth.
A mouth guard remains just as important as any other piece of athletic equipment. An athletic mouth guard is slightly thicker than ones designed for night use and may cause the upper lip to protrude slightly. For the most part, a dental mouth guard used for sports is very difficult to see by spectators. Our team will help identify the appropriate mouth guard for each patient’s needs.
“Any athlete can benefit from wearing a mouth guard, but it is especially helpful for anyone who plays a contact sport.”
Questions Answered on This Page
Frequently Asked Questions
New patients and emergency appointments welcome
Family Dental Terminology
Custom Impression
Custom impression involves using trays to create an exact replica of the patient’s teeth before creating the necessary restoration to enhance the overall experience.
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a dental surgeon, is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity.
Injection-Molded Mouthguards
Injection-Molded Mouthguards help to create a much more specific fit with a type of molding material that fills available space instead of requiring a patient to boil the mouthguard in hot water.
Laminated Pressure-Formed Mouthguards
Laminated pressure-formed mouthguards requires a process that involves applying high heat and pressure to form a mouthguard that meets the needs of the patient.
Mandible Fracture
A mandible fracture is a fracture in the lower jaw that breaks through the mandibular bone and is normally a result of trauma.
Oral Trauma
Oral trauma is any form of trauma or force that results in an injury of the mouth or teeth. Oral trauma can occur after an accident, injury or disease.
Occlusion
Occlusion describes the mandibular and maxillary rows of teeth meeting when the patient bites down. If a patient does not have a healthy bite, they are struggling with malocclusion.
Overjet
An overjet is a bite orientation that results from the maxillary central incisors (top center teeth) protruding over the mandibular central incisors (bottom front teeth); this may also be known as “buck teeth” by patients.
Storage Modulus
The storage modulus is the temperature at which we can store certain elastic materials in dental composite resins.
Vacuum Formed Mouthguard
A vacuum formed mouthguard involves customizing the mouthguard to match a mold of the individual patient’s teeth for a perfect fit.