Mouth Guards

Sports Mouthguards Custom Athletic Mouthguards

Dental injuries are among the most common facial injuries sustained through participating in contact sports. Custom-designed and fabricated athletic mouthguards play an important role in the prevention of sports-related oral and facial injuries.
Canberry Dental creates custom sports mouthguards.

What are Sports Mouthguards?

Sports mouthguards are dental devices designed to protect your teeth during contact sports. At Canberry Dental our dedicated team of cosmetic dentists in Gungahlin works with athletes in order to properly diagnose, design, and create custom sports mouthguards. Sports mouthguards custom-made are designed to effectively protect the teeth from injury while minimizing interference with speaking, talking, and breathing.

What type of Sports Mouthguards is the best?

The best mouthguard for you or your child is the one he or she actually wears, both at practice and on game day. There are several different types of mouthguards on the market, which generally fall into three categories:

An “off-the-shelf” mouthguard. Available at many sporting goods stores, this type comes in a limited range of sizes, and varies widely in quality. The least expensive option, it offers a minimal level of protection that’s probably better than nothing. It generally must be clenched in the mouth, which can make wearing it uncomfortable and cause trouble breathing and speaking.
The “boil and bite” mouthguard. These are designed to be immersed in hot water, and then formed in the mouth using finger, tongue and bite pressure. When they can be made to fit adequately, they generally offer better protection than the first type—but they may still be uncomfortable, and usually fail to full cover the posterior teeth.
A custom-made mouthguard. This is a piece of quality sports equipment that is custom fabricated for your child’s mouth. How? Molds or impressions of your child’s teeth will be made and then tough, resilient, high quality materials are perfectly fitted to that impression. This type of mouthguard offers your child maximum protection and a superior level of comfort — and its cost is quite reasonable.

Taking Care of Your Mouthguard

It is important to take care of your mouthguard by storing it properly and keeping it clean. You should also know when to replace your old mouthguard with a new one. Here are a few simple ways to keep your mouthguard clean and working correctly:

Gently scrub your mouthguard after each use with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Store your mouthguard in a protective case.
Do not leave your mouthguard in the sun or in hot water; it may melt or become deformed.
Replace your mouthguard at the beginning of every new sports season. You should also replace your mouthguard if you notice it has become worn and no longer fits properly.
Do not wear a retainer with your mouthguard. If you wear braces, your dentist will help design a mouthguard to protect your teeth and your braces.
Do not chew on or cut pieces off your mouthguard.
Bring your mouthguard to each dental checkup, and your dentist can check to make sure it’s still in good shape.

At the present time, when top-quality sports equipment for kids can run in the hundreds of dollars, it makes more sense than ever to invest in the proven protection of a professionally made, custom-fitted mouthguard.

How can I learn more about Sports Mouthguards?

We will be happy to discuss Sports Mouthguards at Canberry Dental. Please feel free to call us or book online.

GRINDING SPLINTS:

If you frequently wake up with a sore jaw, a dull headache or tooth pain, you may want to ask Dr Adam if you are suffering from a condition called bruxism. Bruxism or teeth grinding. Everyone grinds their teeth, but the amount of grinding or clenching their teeth varies from person to person and day to day. In general, when we are stressed, we tend to grind or clench or teeth.

There are several ways to alleviate the effects of bruxism. One of the most common is a custom nightguard. This is an appliance typically worn while sleeping through the night. We recommend custom-made nightguard, which is made from an impression or mould of the teeth and is sent to a special dental laboratory. Custom made nightguard are superior to the over store bought since the custom nightguard is made of a higher quality and has a superior fit( so it doesn’t drop in your mouth while you sleep). This is generally a more expensive device than one purchased over-the-counter but can be more comfortable to wear.

The main function is to prevent the surfaces of your teeth from grinding together, causing you to chip and crack your teeth and strain your jaw muscles.

Other Treatments for Teeth Grinding

If a nightguard is uncomfortable, there are other possible treatments listed below that you can ask your dentist about.

Teeth straightening: Teeth that are out of alignment–what dentists call malocclusion–can contribute to teeth grinding. This can be remedied by corrective measures such as braces.
Stress prevention: One of the main causes of bruxism is anxiety, so relaxation, like meditation, can get you to relax and stop clenching your jaw.
Change of diet or medication: avoiding stimulants, such as caffeine, to reduce teeth grinding. Certain medications, such as antidepressants, might also contribute to the issue, so make sure you tell us about any medications you are taking so we can suggest an alternative if one is warranted.