Night guards and mouth guards are designed to protect the integrity of the teeth against injuries caused by grinding and/or sports injuries. They are available through your Surrey-Guildford dentist. Custom-made and fashioned to fit the patient’s teeth, night guards and mouth guards provided by a dentist offer a level of quality different than prefabricated ones. Since they are molded to fit the patient’s teeth, mouth guards/night guards provide better protection than store-bought styles. They are more durable and generally last longer.
After determining that your teeth, gums, and mouth can benefit from the use of a night guard or mouth guard, your dentist takes an impression of your teeth. This impression is used to fabricate a customized piece that will fit your teeth perfectly. This styling delivers a level of comfort along with better protection for your teeth.
Longevity of Night Guards and Mouth Guards
The typical lifetime of a professionally crafted night guard/mouth guard is several years (three or four). However, once normal wear-and-tear begins to show signs of creating damage to the mouthpiece, it should be replaced. Patients who grind their teeth excessively while sleeping will notice that their guards might not last more than a couple of years (two). This is due to the fact that the grinding wears down the material, creating fissures and/or holes in the mouth guard.
Benefits of Night Guards and Mouth Guards
A mouth guard is worth the higher expense for several reasons, including each of the following:
- Better fit
- Greater comfort
- Longer lasting
- Greater protection
Mouth guards offer protection not only for the teeth but also for the gums, cheeks, lips, and tongue. They can protect against a variety of injuries when worn during sports, including chipped teeth, broken teeth, cuts on soft tissues (gums, cheeks, and lips), and tooth loss.
