You see mouthguards being worn when people play contact sports. This is to ensure that teeth are protected during physical contact to avoid cracks in the teeth. A mouthguard is always essential in this regard.
However, did you know that wearing a mouthguard at night when you sleep is just as important?
Mouthguards are becoming more popular not just within sports, but mouthguards have proven to reduce teeth grinding, commonly known as Bruxism. Sometimes, you wake up and your mouth hurts, or you have a headache. This is likely to be because you’re grinding your teeth at night and these are the common symptoms one would experience.
How Do Mouthguards Protect Teeth?
Without teeth, your mouth will not function the way you want it to. It’s that simple. Therefore, invest in a dental mouthguard, and here’s how it protects your teeth.
- It Stops Grinding – A dental mouthguard should be worn at night during sleep. A mouthguard is a custom-made rubber material device designed to fit the upper and lower roof of teeth to protect them along with your gums and the soft tissue. The jaws muscles tend to clench together during sleep and a mouthguard produces a barrier between them to relieve the tension. This is the cause of your headaches and a stiff facial structure in the mornings.
- It Prevents Cracks Forming – When teeth grind together, it forms damage to the tooth surface. This leads to chips and eventually cracks that can become unrepairable. This opens chances of bacteria forming inside the tooth leading to decay. Other tips in avoiding tooth decay can also be found here.
- Prevention of TMJD – Temporomandibular joint disorder occurs when the jaw muscles become inflamed as a result of grinding teeth. This can lead to significant jaw pain and stiffness when you open and close your mouth. A mouthguard keeps the jaw muscle relaxed meaning there is no chance of the jaws grinding teeth together during the night.
- Prevention of Jaw Fractures – Through trauma or a sudden collision, the mouthguard reduces the impact of the collision. It protects the jaw from fractures that may occur upon shock impact of a collision. The impact is deflected from the teeth, meaning less impact.
How Else Do Mouthguards Help?
Some of the common questions relating to mouthguards involve the reduction of snoring and the ability for mouthguards to deliver a peaceful night’s sleep.
Mouthguards help to reduce snoring and sleep apnoea in particular. When sleep apnoea occurs, it affects the quality of your sleep and oral health. It reduces saliva, which is vital to fight off germs in the mouth.
Mouthguards help when the lower jaw is repositioned to allow for the airway to open further. When teeth grind, the tongue moves back causing airways to obstruct during sleep. Mouthguards are also a comfort fit. The dentist creates a custom mouthguard moulded to ensure it fits comfortably in and around the mouth.
The best thing is there are no sleep interruptions. With smoother breathing, it significantly reduces headaches and stiffness in the facial structure when you wake up in the morning.
However, it is important you continuously clean your mouthguard before and after placement in the mouth. This is to limit any chances of bacteria forming from the mouthguard when placing them back into the teeth. This will lead to unexpected damage.
If you’re looking to book an appointment for a dental mouthguard, contact us here and we’d be happy to help.
