What is a mouth guard?

I. What is a mouth guard?

Usually made of soft plastic or laminate, mouth guard is a kind of dental product that covers your teeth to protect the teeth, tongue, gums, cheeks and jaw from potential injuries caused by teeth grinding or sports exercises.

For some athletes like American football players or boxers, a mouth guard is part of their daily standard equipment. It helps lower the prevalence of dental trauma.

II. Will the dental mouth guard hurt your teeth?

If a mouth guard is properly used, it could prevent your teeth, tongue, gums and cheeks, instead of causing damages to them. The premise is that the mouth guard must be clean, good in shape and well-fitted to the mouth.

Some people may complain the mouth guard causes pain and makes them suffer. Usually, the improper wearing or selection of wrong size may hurt your mouth. So it’s necessary to consult your dentist for some useful advice and guide of how to select the right mouth guard and use them properly.

We can say that the selection of the right mouth guard is just as significant as having one. That’s because it’s the right mouth guard that provide best comfort and protection to your teeth. It can get its job done more easily and then help you get your job done smoothly.

III. Are mouth guards useful?

The design of mouth guard is to equalize the pressure across people’s jaws and provide a protection method for the upper and lower teeth from potential harm or injuries.

Another use of mouth guards (mouth guard stoppers) is to offer a proper solution for people who grind teeth and make noises unconsciously during night sleep.

The design and function of mouth guards are similar to the ones in sports like boxing or soccer (American football). It acts as a safe guard for boxers’ or sportsmen’s teeth in the fierce physical competition where injuries always happen to boxers or football players. It’s a kind of useful protective dental device.

IV. Why are mouth guards usually used for top teeth?

As the top teeth protrude more than the lower teeth and thus can be more easily get impacted by external force, the mouth guard is designed to protect the top teeth first. It counts on the structure of oral cavity.

Moreover, the mouth guard for top teeth can be more easily removed, compared with the bottom one. It’s more comfortable to wear the mouth guard for top teeth.

V. Can night guards (mouth guards) ruin your teeth?

The intention of mouth guard is to safely protect the teeth, instead of ruining or causing damages to the teeth. According to the investigation, after daily use, deep grooves usually are left on the surface of night guard. It means that the teeth will stand much force for people who usually grind unconsciously during their sleep, decreasing the tooth wear coefficient.

So the conclusion is that, if the mouth guard is used in the right way, it can positively protect the teeth, tongue, and cheek, instead of ruining them.

Before wearing, people should completely clean your teeth with the help of tooth brush and floss, removing the food debris and bacteria from your teeth.

VI. Replacement of Mouth Guard

Mouth guards can be used repeatedly, but, after use, they must be thoroughly cleaned in cool and soapy water, then rinsed.

As the mouth guard will wear easily owing to teeth grinding after daily use, people need to replace it in a regular period or under the guide of dentists. Mouth guards for kids should be replaced more frequently, as their teeth are still in a status of growth and development. Oral discomfort causes much trouble to the users. So the replacement of mouth guard is a necessity to oral health.

VII. Storage of Mouth Guard

As the mouth guard keeps contacting your mouth per night, the mouth guard should be cleaned after each use and rinse it with cold water.

When not in use, the mouth guard should be stored and transported in a proper container like denture box. It will also help you easily find it, rather than leaving the mouth guard somewhere without notice.

Keep the mouth guard away from high-temperature resources like sunlight or hot water. Otherwise, it may become out of shape easily.

Do routine check for potential damage. Get a new one when it gets damaged.

VIII. Types of Mouth Guards

8.1 Stock Mouth Guard

The stock mouth guards are made in standard shapes and sizes. They’re much easy to get, but there’s a high risk of uncomfortably fit and damage to the teeth, as they’re previously formed in the dental workshops. Usually, it’s not recommended to use this kind of mouth guard.

8.2 Boil-and-bite Mouth Guard

The Boil-and-bite Mouth Guard should be put into boiling water and then patients bite and form them after being taken out of boiled water and cooled for a little while. Then the impression of your teeth can be obtained.

8.3 Custom-made Mouth Guards

For some patients or athletes, mouth guards can be custom-made, based on their unique demands. The customized procedure can be done in a dentist's office or professional dental laboratory. First, the impression of the teeth needs to be taken and dental professionals will make the mouth guards according to the impression. As the customized mouth guard can more suitably fit for their teeth, best comfort and safe guard can be available. But of course these customized are more expensive than those with standard sizes and structures.

IX. Selection of Mouth Guard

Comfort, durability and resilience are the main factors that should be taken into consideration when selecting a good mouth guard.

For adults, teeth won’t grow back again. So it’s significant to pay much attention to the protection of your teeth. So in terms of protection of teeth, a qualified and suitable mouth guard is always worthy.

Your smile is always worth protecting, no matter how old you are. Oral health matters a lot to everyone in different ages.