Mouthguards for Sport, Sleeping and Snoring
Everything You Need To Know About Custom Mouthguards, Including Where To Find Sydney’s Best Mouthguards.
These statistics from the Australian Dental Association highlight a pretty alarming issue. Too often, our Sydney dental clinic sees injuries that a mouthguard could have prevented.
Dental accidents can lead to expensive, prolonged issues, including:
Unlike an over-the-counter mouthguard, a custom mouthguard provides protection and comfort for you to play, train, or even sleep better. That’s right – there are different types of mouthguards for teeth grinding, sleep apnoea and snoring during the night.
Types of mouthguards
Sports Mouthguard
Anti-snoring mouth guard
A custom anti-snoring mouth guard is a type of nightguard. It is used for people to alleviate snoring by repositioning the jaw in order to open the airway. A custom anti-snoring mouth guard is a hinged device that covers both the upper teeth, and the lower teeth. It functions by repositioning how the upper and lower jaws fit together. In most cases, it moves the lower jaw forward, in order to open up the airway. An unobstructed airway then alleviates snoring.
How is an anti-snoring mouth guard fabricated?
Like a custom night guard, a custom anti-snoring mouth guard is fabricated in a dental laboratory from a mold that is taken of the teeth. Our dentists will then prescribe the adjustments and instruct the lab on how to fabricate the anti-snoring mouth guard. It is then fitted, adjusted and dispensed to the patient.
Night Guards
Custom night guards are mouth guards that are worn at night, that are made in a dental laboratory. They are fabricated based on a mold that we take of the mouth, and a prescription with specific instructions that we send to the laboratory.
What are custom night guards used for?
There are two main reasons to wear a custom nightguard. They are to prevent damage to the teeth and jaw joint when clenching grinding, and to treat a TMJ disorder.
What Causes A Patient To Clench Or Grind Their Teeth?
Is a custom night guard worn on the upper teeth or on the lower teeth?
A custom night guard may be worn on the upper teeth or the lower teeth, but not both. Our dentists at Pitt St Dental Centre will advised you the appropriate one to use.
How long should my custom night guard last?
We instruct our patients to bring their night guard into our office whenever they come in for their usual checkups and teeth cleanings. We evaluate the night guard to make sure that it is still functional. When a night guard shows wear such as pitting or indentations, we advise patients to have it replaced. These indentations allow the teeth to lock into one place, reducing the effectiveness of the night guard.
Over-the-counter vs custom mouthguards
Over-the-counter night guard from a chemist
Additionally, over-the-counter night guards, including heat moldable devices, are made out of soft materials. Our custom night guards are made out of a hard bite plate that cannot be clenched into. Over-the-counter night guards can cause an increased urge to clench and grind, as is a natural response to have any chewy material in the mouth. This is especially exasperated in times of stress. Although it may work minimally to protect the teeth, it can cause more damage to the TMJ joint, as one clenches and grinds more.
Over-the-counter mouthguards don’t offer the same level of protection as customised sports mouth guards and we often see detrimental injuries with those mouthguards.
Additionally, a majority of the over-the-counter nightguards contain BPA, which is a known carcinogenic. Over time, these materials release toxins into your body, as you teeth grind them into small fragments.
For all of the above reasons, we always suggest getting a custom night guard versus an over-the-counter night guard.
Can I use a custom mouthguard with braces?
Custom mouthguards prevent injuries to your teeth, gums, tongue, lips and cheek, as well as your braces. This is true for contact sports and sleeping alike.
Do I need to visit a Sydney dental clinic for a mouthguard?
What is involved in making a custom night guard?
Each custom night guard is different and fabricated to specifications unique to each patient specific needs. The first step is to have a thorough examination to identiy your needs. We then take a digital scan of the patient’s teeth and gum. This scan is then sent to our local Sydney dental laboratory with a prescription with specific instructions on how to make the night guard.
The mouthguard or the splint is then fabricated out of a BPA-free material. This produces a mouth guard that fits to the exact shape of our patients’ teeth. We then have our patients return to fit and adjust the night guard. During our evaluation of the night guard, we ensure that there is even load on both jaw joints, and that the bite is even everywhere. We then adjust the nightguard accordingly. Once the nightguard is fitted and adjusted, you will get instructions for the care and use of your night guard.
You will be instructed to wear your night guard every night. You will also be instructed to bring your night guard with you to our office during your normal dental checkup and teeth cleaning appointments for re-evaluation.
Whether you need a custom-made mouthguard for contact sport, training, grinding or sleeping, Pitt Street Dental Centre is on your side. Schedule an appointment to get professional, high-quality advice on Sydney’s custom mouthguard and splints.
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The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional personal diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your dentist or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a dental or medical condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read or seen on the Site.
Services We Mentioned:
TMJ
Initial Consultation
Comprehensive Examination & Dental Hygiene
Dental Crowns
Tooth Fillings
Orthodontic Braces
Mouthguards
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Kristen K.
I have been going to Dr Cai for almost two years and each time I visit he and the staff are so lovely and professional. I cannot recommend them enough.
Nikki J.
Best dentists I have ever been to. I even travelled to Pitt Street Dental when we lived interstate to see them. Very capable, thoughtful and kind dentists and team.