Mouthguards are devices that can be used in multiple ways to maintain and protect your oral and overall health. They can be worn to protect your teeth from grinding or clenching while you sleep or from injuries when you are playing sports. Other types of mouthguards can also help to reduce snoring and relieve obstructive sleep apnea.
If you are suffering from jaw pain, sensitive teeth, or broken teeth due to clenching and grinding, our team at Scripps West Dental can help you find relief using a custom-made nighttime mouthguard.
Bruxism, or teeth grinding, is a condition characterized by intense jaw clenching that occurs while the patient is asleep, leading to various issues with the jaw, teeth, neck, and head that can be extremely painful.
Because bruxism occurs while you are asleep, it’s not uncommon for the condition to go undiagnosed for years. Patients don’t always realize the cause of their pain until their jaw clenching begins to take its toll, causing tooth damage, jaw pain, sore gums, earaches, chronic headaches, and more.
Nightguards in San Diego are custom-made to protect your mouth from the effects of bruxism and can even help you get a good night’s sleep. If you’re looking for nightguards in Mira Mesa, San Diego, CA, contact us today to schedule your consultation!
An Athletic Mouthguard is a device worn over your teeth that protects them from trauma resulting from blows or injuries to the face and head. Mouthguards are an essential piece of athletic equipment for anyone participating in a sport that involves falls, body contact, or flying equipment. If you participate in sports like baseball, football, basketball, soccer, hockey, skateboarding, gymnastics, or mountain biking, you might benefit from a protective athletic mouthguard that can help prevent or reduce the severity of injuries to your mouth.
Mouthguards near you typically cover just the upper teeth and are designed to protect athletes against broken teeth, lip lacerations, and other damage to the mouth. If braces or other fixed dental appliances are worn on your lower jaw, your dentist may also suggest a mouth protector for the lower teeth.
Custom-made mouthguards in Mira Mesa, San Diego are individually designed and made in your dentist’s office in Mira Mesa, San Diego or in a professional dental laboratory. Custom mouthguards are very likely to provide the most comfortable fit and best protection available. Your Mira Mesa San Diego dentist will make an impression of your teeth and then construct the mouth guard over a model made from that impression. Because they fit accurately and feel better in place, most athletes prefer customized mouth guards.
Boil and bite mouth guards come in a pre-formed shape that can be somewhat customized by placing the mouthguard in boiling water, then biting into the warm plastic for a customized fit. These semi-custom guards can be bought at many sporting goods stores and may offer a better fit than stock mouth protectors. Follow the directions carefully to avoid ending up with a poorly-fitting mouthguard.
Stock mouthguards are fairly inexpensive and come pre-formed and ready to wear. Unfortunately, they often don’t fit very well as they do not offer options for customization. They can be bulky and may even make breathing and talking difficult.
Schedule an appointment with your dentist in Mira Mesa, San Diego today to have a custom-made mouthguard fabricated for you!