A Custom Mouthguard Could Safeguard Your Smile
March 10, 2021
While a boil-and-bite mouthguard from any sporting goods store could offer a minor level of protection, a custom option could help prevent injuries, and be used to treat other oral health issues. In today’s blog, your Kansas City, MO, dentist talks about how we help safeguard your smile with an athletic mouthguard.
Creating Your New Mouthguard
Each one we create will be custom-made, meaning we take detailed images and measurements of your smile. We use this information to enable us to design and custom-fit an option made specifically for your smile. We could use them to not only safeguard teeth against damage, but to also treat common oral health disorders, such as TMD, bruxism, and even sleep apnea!
Damage Prevention
When kids and adults wear a mouthguard while playing sports, they help protect the teeth from chips, cracks, or becoming knocked loose or falling out completely. A custom option fits more comfortably and provides a greater level of protection than a one-size-fits-all appliance. You help avoid injuries, and remember, even a minor chip or crack could mean an increased risk of tooth decay and dental infection.
Treating TMJ Disorder and Bruxism
TMJ disorder and bruxism are very different issues, but both could be caused by tooth loss, dental misalignment, stress, injury to the face or jaw, or other issues that upset the balance of your bite. With TMD, you have trouble opening and closing the mouth, and with bruxism, you grind and clench your nightly frequently. As a result, warning signs of these disorders could include toothaches and tooth sensitivity, clicking or popping sensations in the jaw, headaches and migraines, jaw pain, facial aches, and pain in the neck and shoulders.
However, an oral appliance in the form of a custom mouthguard could help reposition the jaw and place a barrier between the upper and lower sets of teeth. You then avoid worsening symptoms and complications, and enjoy relief!
Solutions for Sleep Disorders
If you have sleep apnea, this means that as you rest, your airways are obstructed by the collapse of soft tissues in the throat and mouth. You stop breathing several times a night, leaving you feeling exhausted and eventually straining your immune system and heart health. However, a mouthguard could shift the jaw forward to prevent the collapse of soft tissues completely!
If you have any questions about our custom athletic appliances, then contact our team today.
Do You Have Questions About Our Oral Appliances?
Our team is ready to help tackle your jaw joint disorders or offer protection against dental injury. To learn more about how we create custom treatment options for smiles of all ages, then schedule a consultation by calling Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry of Kansas City, MO, today at 816-427-4018.