Dental concerns affect more than your smile and appearance. They can affect your bite, chew, and speech, impact your sleep, and cause considerable pain. Even after some Appletree dental treatments, your dentist could recommend a custom mouth guard. A custom guard is designed to fit snugly in your mouth, making it comfortable and won’t fall off in your sleep. Among the instances your dentist may recommend a custom mouth guard includes:
Bruxism management
Bruxism refers to the unconscious grinding or clenching of teeth. This mostly happens in your sleep and causes jaw, face, and ear pain, sensitive, damaged, or worn out teeth, and could result in TMJ disorder. Bruxism treatments include behavioral therapy to manage stress which is the main trigger. The treatments can also be occlusal and pharmacologic. Your dentist can recommend including a custom mouth guard in your treatments. The guards cushion your teeth and jaws from the grinding or clenching pressure. This can alleviate the damage and pain caused by bruxism and can also improve the treatment effects.
Manage TMJ disorder
TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder symptoms include migraines, face, jaw, ear, and mouth pain, and difficulty opening your mouth and chewing. TMJ disorder results from compromised joint movements, which could be caused by trauma, bruxism, arthritis, or a misaligned bite. You could experience chronic pain, tooth erosion, bite problems, and sleep apnea if TMJ is untreated. TMJ treatments include physiotherapy, medication, and bite guards. The custom guards can help correct misalignment, which could be the main culprit behind the disorder. The mouth guards cushion your teeth and jaw, alleviating pain and other symptoms of TMJ disorder.
Protection
A custom mouthguard is an excellent investment if you engage in contact sports or activities with a high risk of falls. The facial trauma could result in damaged tooth pulp, inner cheeks, gums, or lips injury, and cracked, chipped, broken, or knocked out teeth, which the custom mouth guards can cushion against. The guards also come in handy in protecting dental restorations such as implants, bridges, braces, and crowns. Protecting the restoration can speed up the treatment and recovery, helping you realize optimal results.
Sleep apnea management
Sleep apnea could result from dental misalignment. The misalignment could force the tongue into an odd position as you sleep, obstructing airflow. This means you could be forced to breathe more through your mouth, which can result in snoring and poor sleep quality. Extended period breathing through the mouth also leads to bad breath (halitosis), which can dent your confidence. A custom mouthguard can help improve sleep quality by positioning your tongue in a better spot. This facilitates better airflow, minimizes or eliminates snoring, and allows you to fall and remain asleep longer. Quality sleep improves overall health, including minimizing stress, which can help address other dental issues like bruxism.
Unlike over-the-counter options, wearing a custom mouthguard is comfortable. The custom mouth guard is designed with your situation in mind, meaning it can help beat those morning headaches that affect your day, reduce pain, mitigate teeth damage, and protect dental restorations. Contact AppleTree Dental for more on custom mouthguards and why you might need one.
