Is a Mouth Guard Right for Me?

Do your teeth and jaw feel sore in the morning? Do you play contact sports? Have you been diagnosed with temporomandibular (TMJ) disorder? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be a good candidate for a dental mouth guard. At Chrisman & Wyse Cosmetic & General Dentistry, Dr. Jay W. Chrisman and Dr. David D. Wyse can fit patients with Under Armour Performance Mouthwear made by Armourbite Technology. These mouth guards offer excellent protection for the teeth, tongue, and soft tissues of the mouth. To learn more about these dental devices, we invite mouth guard candidates to contact our Bloomington office today.

Chronic Teeth Grinding

Chronic teeth grinding, a condition known as bruxism, occurs when patients unconsciously grind their teeth. This condition is often at its worst at night when patients are sleeping. Whether due to stress or bite misalignment, teeth grinding can cause serious damage to your teeth. Over time, the chronic clenching and grinding will wear down the surfaces of the teeth and cause gum recession. This may result in the need for dental crowns, gum grafts, and other restorative dentistry treatments. It can also result in uncomfortable symptoms such as tooth pain, jaw pain, and headaches. To prevent the tooth wear, gum recession, and discomfort caused by chronic teeth grinding, patients can wear a mouth guard at night. The mouth guard prevents teeth grinding, along with the side effects that occur as a result of the condition.

TMJ Disorder

TMJ disorder occurs when the jaw joints (or TMJs) become inflamed or displaced. It can be caused by chronic teeth grinding, bite misalignment, injury, stress, and arthritis. Patients who suffer from TMJ disorder may experience jaw pain, headaches, a clicking of the joint when opening and closing the mouth, a feeling that the jaw is locked, difficulty chewing, and swelling. While TMJ disorder can be treated with orthodontics to improve the bite, we most often recommend the use of a nightly mouth guard to keep the jaw in proper alignment.

Athletes

Athletes are advised to wear a professional, custom-fitted dental mouth guard when playing sports. If you play a contact sport such as football, basketball, soccer, boxing, or hockey, a mouth guard can protect the hard and soft tissues of the mouth in the event of an impact with another player or sporting equipment. In fact, use of a mouth guard could quite possibly prevent a tooth from being knocked out. Mouth guards are also beneficial for players involved in non-contact sports. For example, if you skateboard, mountain bike, or skate, you may also want to wear a mouth guard to prevent injury in case of a fall.

To fit you with a mouth guard, we will take impressions of your upper and lower teeth. These impressions will be sent to our dental lab, where technicians will fabricate a mouth guard that offers a precise fit. We can then fine-tune the fit here in our office to ensure maximum comfort.

To find out if you are a good candidate for a mouth guard, contact our practice today.