Mouth Guard
Gambrills, MD
 Millions of Americans, both adults and children grind their teeth on a daily basis. Teeth grinding, also referred to as bruxism, causes various dental problems including damage to the tooth enamel. Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) can also occur because of the stress you put on your jaw while clenching and grinding your teeth. Grinding your teeth also causes chipping and cracking or loosening of the teeth. People who wear braces and grind their teeth or clench their jaw are likely to damage their oral appliances. A visit to our dental specialists at Dr. Antonino Barbaro Cosmetic & Family Dentistry makes an important step in fighting the impact that teeth-grinding causes. When you visit our office, our dentist will ask if you are aware you grind your teeth. In the event that you grind your teeth, our dentist will provide you with a custom-made mouth guard that you put on during the night. This oral appliance protects both your braces (if you have them) and your teeth.
What is a Mouth Guard?
Our dental office constructs a mouth guard as a tool for protecting the teeth and jaw from teeth grinding damage. A night mouth guard is a piece of an oral appliance that people insert in the mouth while sleeping to prevent the upper and lower teeth from making contact. Since people have different mouth structures, night mouth guards are customized to meet the needs of the wearers. Whether you are addressing sleep apnea, protecting your braces, or protecting your mouth and jaw, our team will fabricate a night mouth guard that works specifically for you.
Types of Mouth Guards
Our dental professional will help you understand the different types of mouth guards. One type is the boil and bite protectors made of thermoplastic material. These mouth guards require that you put them in hot water before wearing them.
Stock mouth guards are already fabricated and they are not as costly as the boil and bite protectors. They are not adjustable, meaning that they may not fit properly since they are premade. Another type, and which is the most preferred is the custom-made mouth protectors. These mouth guards are created for you only. Our dental team takes an impression of the teeth, both the upper and lower arch. Using this impression as a model, we construct the mouth guards so that they fit you properly. These tailor-made bite protectors need time to fabricate, however, they feel more comfortable in the mouth. A visit to our dental office will see us discuss the options of mouth protectors we have for our patients.
Benefits of Night Mouth Guards
Wearing a night mouth guard ensures that the top and bottom teeth do not make contact while sleeping. If you grind or clench your teeth, in most cases you will have headaches in the morning when you wake up. You may also experience toothaches and a painful jaw. Your teeth are likely to chip, crack, and become sensitive as a result of the wear down caused by the force of the teeth grinding. A night mouth guard works to eliminate these kinds of problems.
It is not possible to control your jaw clenching while sleeping. Wearing a night mouth protector minimizes jaw tension as well as pain caused by clenching. Having a healthy sleep is vital for your health. Grinding and clenching interfere with your sleep patterns, hence contributing to physical and mental issues. Using night mouth guards can help promote better, restorative sleep. Additionally, these mouth guards can help prevent sleep apnea and snoring.
Get a mouth guard today at our office. Visit us at Dr. Antonino Barbaro Cosmetic & Family Dentistry or call us at (443) 300-0400 to find out more about our customized mouth guards.
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