Mouthguards
Mouthguards or occlusal guards are custom fitting devices used to protect your teeth from damage from hitting each other. Most damage from this is caused when we are unaware, such as sleeping or doing something active.
The most common reason for the teeth being damaged is a condition known as bruxism. Those who suffer from this, excessively grind their teeth unconsciously in turn leading increased clenching and tension of the jaws. Left unchecked, this can severely erode or crack the enamel leading to tooth sensitivity.
Signs You Could Benefit from a Mouthguard
- Jaw aches first thing in the morning
- Catch yourself clenching or grinding your teeth during the day
- Surfaces of your teeth have become flattened or chipped
- Headaches or earaches, with no significant health history
- Dull tooth aches
- To protect fillings or crowns that have been done
- Possible alternative to retainers after orthodontic treatment
Benefits of Mouthguards
The biggest benefit to a mouthguard is to prevent tooth damage. The more your teeth excessively or incorrectly hit each other increases the risk the tooth will need work done on it to fix. Broken teeth can turn into needing crowns to fix. Sensitive teeth could end up needing root canals. Wearing a mouthguard can help to avoid costly procedures down the road and preserve your teeth for years to come.
Mouthguards can also help alleviate the symptoms of the jaw bone disorders (TMJ). The grinding over time will eventually affect the joint that opens and closes your jaw which can cause lock-jaw or the morning headaches and toothaches you may be suffering from.
Procedure and Costs
Creating a custom fitting mouthguard is a very easy and straightforward procedure. All that needs to be done is to take an impression or molding of your teeth and send it to one of our amazing local dental labs for processing. The final guard is sent back within a week or so and adjusted for optimal comfort.
Our fee for a comfort fitting, custom mouthguard is a flat $299, much lower than the average cost of this service. We believe protecting our teeth and investments into them shouldn’t come at a hefty price tag, which is why we’ve set our fee at a fair price, so you can be confident you can get the care you need without the financial burden.
