Custom-made mouthguards are the best way to protect your teeth whilst playing sports. They are especially important during contact sports such as rugby, boxing, AFL and hockey. Custom mouthguards are made at the dentist and will not only fit better but also last longer. We get them direct to you and make necessary adjustments to ensure you feel comfortable wearing them. They are strong and do not require regular replacing. Because of this, they will work out cheaper in the long run and are more comfortable than over the counter guards that you buy from a chemist. The mouthguards which require you to boil and mold them are prone to feeling very loose and may fall out during sport. Also they may spend more time outside of the mouth than inside because they can be highly uncomfortable and cause gagging. At Riverstone Family Dental we have youth specials on mouthguards, call us on (02) 8678 3538 for more information.
Mouthguards
How effective are mouthguards?
Accidents can happen anytime during a competitive sports game or even during training. By wearing a mouthguard, you can limit the risk of trauma to your lips, tongue, and soft tissues of your mouth. It is an easy and safe way to prevent chipped or broken teeth, nerve damage inside a tooth or even tooth loss.
The potential lifetime cost of trauma to the mouth can be substantial. Teeth that are traumatised may require root canal treatment, orthodontics, crowns, bridges, dentures, restorations or implants. You can prevent accidents from becoming costly and protect your teeth by wearing a mouthguard. At Riverstone Family Dental, when we talk about ‘lifetime cost‘, we are referring to dental treatment which will need to be maintained or re-done several times during the course of one’s lifetime. When you factor this in, the cost of a mouthguard is very little when compared to the lifetime cost of complex dental treatment.
Children and young adults playing sports are especially at risk. The International Association of Dental Traumatology recommends the wearing of mouthguards, and the Australian Dental Association (ADA) and Sports Medicine Australia have worked together to create a Mouthguard Policy for sports clubs to sign up to. They have done this in response to many studies which show the effectiveness of mouthguards.
By wearing a mouthguard during sports, you are not only protecting your teeth, but you are also absorbing and spreading the impact of a potential blow to the face. This helps to prevent injury and the corresponding time off school or work to recover.
Nightguards
A nightguard or an occlusal splint is useful if you grind your teeth at night. It is an acrylic appliance which is worn during your sleep to protect your teeth from excessive wear, chipping and cracking. At Riverstone Family Dental, our custom-made nightguards are comfortable and durable. If you are worried about cost, we give you options of different types of nightguards. There are hard acrylic and soft acrylic appliances you can use, this is dependent on your bite, whether you have a gag reflex, severity of clenching and bruxism (teeth grinding) and whether you have Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD). We do not just issue you with guards, we understand wearing this new appliance can seem strange, so we review your progress and ensure you are adjusting to your new nightguard. The effectiveness of this form of treatment is dependent upon you wearing it so we try to simplify and streamline the whole process as best as possible.
Some Tips:
- It is important to keep your nightguard clean by washing it under warm soapy water and properly storing it in your case after use. This is to help prevent oral thrush.
- Initially it may feel slightly tight and it is normal to have excess saliva building up in your mouth whilst wearing it. Sometimes you may wake up wanting to remove the nightguard. This all resolves after weeks of consistently wearing the appliance, your body is simply getting used to having something new in your mouth.
- Remember if you make any changes to your teeth such as having a crown cemented, then your nightguard will require an adjustment.