Table of Contents
Do you like to play sports or grind your teeth at night? Both activities can put stress on your jaw and cause discomfort. To adequately protect your jaw, you might consider obtaining a sports mouth guard or night guard.
In this blog, we will be looking at the major drawbacks and benefits of sports mouth guards and night guards. So that you can make better decisions to protect your smile! Let's dig in!
What is a Night Guard?
A night guard is mainly used to protect from bruxism (teeth grinding) during your sleep. Do you experience teeth grinding at night? Then, a night guard can provide you with ideal protection to reduce all kinds of damage to your jaw and teeth.
Night Guard Types
There are mainly three categories of night guards which include generic (OTC), boil & bite, and custom variety.
Over-The-Counter (Generic)
These night guards can easily be obtained from all kinds of pharmacies and drugstores. They are available in a variety of standard sizes such as small, medium, and large.
Generic night guards don’t offer ideal protection as they don’t provide a snug fit. These only provide somewhat decent protection from bruxism (teeth grinding) at night.
Boil & Bite Night Guards
These can be obtained in various sizes as they are pre-made. You only have to provide your unique dental mold for ideal fitting by boiling these in hot water and biting them with your mouth.
These are not as efficient as custom-made night guards such as those provided by SMILEPATH. They provide better fitting and protection from nighttime teeth grinding.
Custom Night Guards
These are tailor-made according to your unique dental impression that is taken either in the dentist’s office or at home through an impression kit. Custom variety provides contoured fitting and comfort due to better materials (BPA-free).
These can be more expensive but provide the best overall protection against teeth grinding at night.
Night Guard Usage Benefits
Featured Image: Woman holding a dental night guard
There are a lot of benefits to using dental night guards. Some benefits include:
- Teeth Grinding Protection: If you are experiencing headaches or sore jaw when waking up in the morning. Then you might be suffering from bruxism. A dental night guard can provide ideal protection and prevention protecting your sensitive teeth from further damage.
- Reduced TMJ (Temporomandibular joint) symptoms and pain: Dental night guards also help you reduce the effects of TMJ issues by providing tailored jaw support and preventing your jaw from excessive movement.
- Better Sleep Session: Using a dental night guard is beneficial for your dental health as you avoid teeth grinding damage which helps you attain better sleep quality at night. As a result, you wake up more relaxed.
Certain Risks of Using Night Guard
Using night guard also has some potential risks attached to their usage. These include:
- Allergy Issues: Many people who use night guards might be allergic to certain materials used in custom night guards. These include silicone or latex. If you have a medical history of allergic reactions, make sure to inform your dentist before you get your night guard.
- Breathing problems: In scarce chances, people might experience difficulty breathing normally while wearing a dental night guard. If you experience breathing issues, you need to stop using your night guard immediately and consult with an experienced dentist.
- Soreness of Mouth: You might experience certain soreness in the mouth by using a dental night guard due to improper fitting or allergic materials. If you face any similar issues, make sure to notify your dentist immediately and follow the provided recommendations.
Choosing an Ideal Dental Night Guard
There are a lot of varieties of dental night guards that you can obtain in the market. So, how do you know the most ideal choice? Here are a few factors to consider before you select your night guard:
- Type of teeth grinding activity carried out at night. Whether you are a mild or heavy teeth grinder. If you are an excessive teeth grinder then you need a hard and thick dental night guard for ideal teeth protection.
- Your dental mouth structure and jaw type. Just make sure that the night guard provides comfort and fits snugly over your teeth.
- The type of night guard you prefer as generic or custom variety. Tailor-made night guards are commonly more costly, but they additionally provide extra protection from teeth grinding and comfort for long-term usage.
Once you have written down all the relevant factors. You should now be able to easily able to shortlist your choices and obtain your ideal night guard made just for you!
Mouth Guard Options
There are mainly three categories of sports mouth guards that you can obtain: generic, boil & bite, and custom. Custom-made mouth guards are crafted by taking your unique dental impression of teeth and manufactured in a lab under dental supervision just for you.
Boil & bite mouth guard varieties are usually made for sports athletes and are available at leading sports goods markets. These can provide limited protection as they provide better fitting than very generic (OTC) mouth guards. You need to boil these mouth guard in hot water and bite into them to create your custom dental impression. Boil and bite and custom mouth guard offer decent protection, but the custom variety is more durable, and comfortable and provides better protection coverage.
Stock mouth guards are pre-made and ready to use, and while they are often inexpensive, they frequently do not provide a snug fit and offer only a small amount of comfort and protection.
If you are an athlete who regularly engages in contact sports or intense sports where there are high chances of injuries to the head. Then you need to protect your teeth from excessive damage using a sports mouth guard.
Sports Mouth Guard Benefits
A sports mouth guard such as those provided by SMILEPATH is an excellent way to protect teeth from all kinds of impact during sports activities. These provide adequate protection from dental trauma injuries and are also comfortable for long play sessions.
Here are a few important factors to consider before you start using a custom sports mouth guard:
- Ideal protection of teeth from all kinds of dental trauma and damage to the facial area
- Reduces chances of brain injuries and prevents chances of having concussions
- Reduces symptoms of TMJ (Temporomandibular joint) issues
- Provides the best protection and comfort due to the contoured fitting
Sports Mouth Guard Usage Risks
There are also some usage risks associated with a sports mouth guard. These include:
- You might have difficulty breathing, so it’s crucial to ensure that the sports mouth guard you obtain does not obstruct breathing action and provides comfort.
- People might face allergic reactions due to certain materials (latex or silicone) used in sports mouth guards so you need to test your sports mouth guard regularly to ensure it suits you.
- An improper fitting sports mouth guard can be more dangerous as it can increase chances of dental injuries by misaligning your jaw and reducing your tongue movement.
Choosing An Ideal Sports Mouth Guard Option
If you are a natural athlete and engage in contact sports then it’s crucial to wear a quality mouth guard such as those provided by SMILEPATH. These orthodontic devices provide ideal protection from all kinds of dental injuries such as tooth chipping, broken jaw, and dislodged teeth.
Mouth guards are typically worn to protect sports athletes from serious dental trauma injuries and impacts to the face. These sports include football, rugby, boxing, lacrosse, taekwondo, and ice hockey, among others.
So which mouth guard is most ideal for you? It all depends on the type of sports that you regularly play and prefer. Here are some key factors to consider when selecting a mouth guard:
- Protection Level: Athletes who engage in extreme sports or contact sports such as rugby, hockey, or football need durable sports mouth guards that offer decent protection than generic mouth guards for sports like volleyball or basketball.
- Tailored Fit: A good sports mouth guard provides adequate protection and comfort. Just ensure that your mouth guard is not very tight and fits snugly over your teeth. The device should stay put during sports activities and should be easy to remove.
Key Differences Between Sports Mouth Guard and Dental Night Guard
There are some key differences that can be pointed out between night guards and sports mouth guards:
Material:
Firstly, night guards are usually crafted from softer (BPA-free) material for protection against teeth grinding (bruxism). On the other hand, sports mouth guards are crafted from strong plastic or silicone as they need to provide protection from impact in sports.
Customization:
Secondly, dental night guards are crafted according to your unique dental teeth structure, while mouth guards are usually available in regular generic pre-formed sizes. However, tailored sports mouth guards are also available that provide snug fitting, protection, and comfort.
Usage:
Night guards are intended for overnight wear, offering continuous protection against tooth grinding while you sleep. Sports mouth guards, on the other hand, are only meant to be worn for a short time during sports or other activities where there is a high risk of impact. They protect against quick injuries. The different designs and materials are due to the different types of use and frequency.
Smilepath: Your ideal Dental Guard Supplier
Choosing between various mouth guards and night guards can be quite tough. But you don’t have to worry. With professional help and a variety of high-quality choices, SmilePath makes sure you are safe and comfortable while having a hassle-free experience.
Smilepath offers you custom night guards and sports mouth guards at affordable prices with free shipping.
FAQs
Sports mouth guards are made from durable materials to provide protection against dental trauma injuries during sports. On the other hand night guards are made from flexible and soft (BPA-free) materials for protecting teeth grinding during sleep.
It depends on your unique needs. If you are facing bruxism(teeth grinding) then night guard is ideal for you. However, if you are a sports enthusiast and engage in extreme sports then mouth guard is more suitable.
Night guards are usually crafted from medical grade (BPA-free) soft plastic which provides ideal comfort and protection from all kinds of teeth-grinding action during sleep.
Australia
New Zealand
Malaysia
English
Portuguese
English
English
English
English
English
Canada