Night Guards and Sports Guards
The Difference Between a Dental Night Guards and Sports Guards
Dental Night Guards are designed to protect your teeth from grinding and clenching while sleeping.
They are made of hard plastic and only cover part of the surface of your teeth and not your gums.
Night Guards are generally bulkier and thicker than dental night guards. They are designed to cover the entire surface of your teeth and gums to protect them from aggressive sports activities.
Night Guards Explained
Wearing a Night Guards will help prevent your teeth from becoming damaged due to tooth grinding and clenching while sleeping. There are all types of nightguards; however, if you choose a nightguard that hasn’t been custom-fitted, you risk your teeth being moved out of alignment, resulting in needing your teeth straightened.
How Should a Night Guards Fit?
A Night Guards should fit snugly so you won’t have to use your teeth to hold it in place. It will feel tight, but that’s how you know it’s properly fitted. You will feel some pressure, but it shouldn’t be uncomfortable. It doesn’t fit like it’s supposed to if you feel too much pressure, like when wearing a clear dental aligner. In this case, you should immediately contact our dentists in Van Wert, OH.
A Night Guards shouldn’t touch your gums. So, there will be a small gap between your Night Guard and your gumline. A proper fit will prevent your Night Guard from rubbing against or pinching your gums, resulting in inflammation and soreness.
Can You Breathe and Talk Like Normal While Wearing a Night Guards?
It will take a day or so to adjust to wearing a nightguard. But after that, it should be comfortable, and you should be able to breathe and talk normally. If you can’t, it doesn’t fit properly.
Sports Guards Explained
A Sports Guard, sometimes called a mouth guard, is a thick, bulky dental tray made of polyurethane, copolymer of vinyl acetate, or ethylene. It’s placed over your teeth to cushion and protect them while participating in aggressive sports activities.
The Three Types of Sports Guards
There are three types of sports guards, all with different fits.
Custom-Made Sports Guards
These are custom-made by a dentist using an impression of your teeth. Custom-made Sports Guards are considered the best because they are more comfortable and give you the best protection.
Boil and Bite Sports Guards
Just as the name implies, these are pre-formed guards that are boiled in water. Then, you bite the warm plastic to form a semi-customized fit.
NOTE:
Never make a bite impression on your Sports Guard until it has cooled enough to do so.
Stock Sports Guards
These are pre-formed trays ready to use right out of the box. Stock sports guards usually don’t fit very well, are bulky, and they make it hard to talk and breathe.
Contact a Reputable Dentist in Van Wert, OH
If you need a Night Guard or Sports Guards or want more information, please Contact Jeffery-Mohr Dentistry today.
We would be happy to help!
