Mouth guards are useful at protecting teeth from wearing down and cracking or breaking, which can cause sensitivity, pain, and the need for more dental work. Prevent this with a night guard and possibly lower thin day guard.

They are also useful for pain management of TMD, and protection during sports. Read more below about each.

If you’re playing a sport with a high risk of injury, wearing a mouth guard is crucial. Even sports like basketball, baseball, gymnastics, and volleyball can jeopardize your gums and teeth. Although football and hockey are often thought of as the most dangerous for dental injuries, nearly half of all sports-related mouth injuries actually happen in basketball and baseball.

Helmets are essential for preventing serious injuries such as concussions, jaw fractures, and neck injuries by reducing impacts that could force the lower jaw into the upper jaw. Mouth guards are designed to protect the soft tissues in your mouth by keeping them away from your teeth, thus preventing cuts and bruises to your lips and cheeks, especially if you have braces.

Typically covering the upper teeth, mouth guards help absorb impacts to the face, minimizing the risk of broken teeth and injuries to your mouth's soft tissues. If you have braces or other fixed dental work on your lower jaw, you can also get mouth guards designed for those teeth.

For those with braces or fixed dental appliances, a properly fitted mouth guard is especially important. It helps prevent damage to brackets and other orthodontic fixtures and provides a cushion between your braces and your cheeks or lips, reducing the chance of injury. While most mouth guards are made for the upper teeth, consult your dentist or orthodontist about the need for a lower mouth guard if you have braces on those teeth. Avoid wearing removable appliances like retainers during contact sports.

Mouth guards are also very helpful at preventing and treating TMD (pain in the TMJs). Click here to read more info about what we offer to treat this.