General Dentistry

Mouth Guards save teeth!

Mouthguards protect teeth from being broken or knocked out, broken upper and/or lower jaws, dislocated jaws and concussions. Mouthguards are protective devices same as seatbelts, airbags, helmets, pads, shin guards, gloves and other safety devices. We strongly advise you to make mouthguards a part of the equipment you use to protect sports participants from harm. The various types include:

Retail plastic standard stock: this device has no retention or ability to stay in place without effort on behalf of the wearer. The protection provided is better than not wearing a mouthguard but provides the least amount of protection. Breathing through the mouth is difficult because teeth must be clenched in order to keep it in place.

Boil and Bite: The form is boiled in water and the user is instructed to form the guard by biting into the softened material. This is poor fitting, thin, and easily distorts with use. It fits better than standard stock but does not stay in place without conscious effort.

Custom-made: these are made from moulds of impressions of your teeth. Custom-made mouthguards provide excellent fit and stay in place without effort resulting in more frequent use. They allow free breathing because retention does not depend upon a closed mouth to hold the guard in place. A custom-made mouthguard is strongly recommended, and costs much less than it would cost to repair damaged teeth. There are different types of plastics used for different levels of protection; high impact sports require stronger devices.

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