Mouthguards
As an athlete, having the right protection is essential. We offer high-quality athletic mouth guards designed to safeguard your teeth during practices and competitions. We also provide custom night guards for patients who grind their teeth, helping protect your smile from damage while you sleep.
Dental Mouthguards and Night Guards in Palos Heights, IL
A mouthguard is essential for athletes of all ages who participate in contact sports or physical activities. Mouthguards help absorb impact and reduce the risk of serious dental injuries that can be painful and costly. Our custom-made mouthguards are crafted from lightweight materials for a secure, comfortable fit and are designed not to interfere with breathing or speaking.
Night guards serve a similar protective purpose but are worn while sleeping to prevent damage caused by teeth grinding, also known as bruxism. Bruxism can lead to cracked or broken teeth, headaches, and jaw pain if left untreated. A custom night guard helps protect your teeth and relieve strain on your jaw for better long-term oral health.
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What types of dental mouthguards exist?
There are three types of mouthguards:
- Stock mouth protectors that come ready to wear. These are inexpensive and can be bought at most sporting goods stores. However, you cannot adjust their fit, they tend to be bulky making breathing and speaking difficult, and they offer limited protection.
- Boil and bite mouth protectors can also be bought at most sporting goods stores and offer a better fit than stock mouth protectors. This type of mouthguard is placed in hot water to soften and then placed in the mouth to shape around the teeth. The same issues that affect stock mouth protectors carry over to boil and bite mouthguards.
- Custom-fitted mouthguards are designed individually and made in the dental office based on your dentist’s instructions. Your dentists will first make an impression on your teeth and then mold the mouth guard over the model. This type of mouthguard provides the most protection and comfort. With professional oversight, your dentist can also ensure that your mouth guard will not harm your teeth or negatively affect your bite.
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What are the options for treating TMJ?
TMJ is a disorder that causes pain in your neck and jaw areas, or/and a clicking noise when you open or close your mouth. It can also limit the range of motion in your jaw.
There are several things you can do to help TMJ, including a temporary night guard, avoiding sharp movements with your jaw, icing your jaw to prevent inflammation, modifying your diet to include softer foods that require less chewing, and practicing relaxations and light stretching techniques to reduce tension in your jaw.
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Why are mouthguards important for athletes?
There are many reasons why wearing a mouthguard when playing sports is important. First mouthguards protect against displacing teeth as they help distribute force over all of your teeth, which prevents one, or two, teeth from taking all the force of an impact. They can also protect against injuries to soft tissue such as your tongue and gums as well as prevent jaw and tooth fractures. Ultimately, mouthguards may help prevent concussions as the padding could lessen the force between the upper and lower rows of teeth and lessen the force of the jaw as it pushes on the skull.
More Questions?
If you have more questions about mouthguards for sports or night guards for teeth grinding, please contact our office and we will be happy to discuss further.
