What is a night guard or mouth guard?
Dr. Amir Nabagh
تهرانSurgeon - dentist
What is a night guard or mouth guard?
Night guard is a cover that people use to protect Root Tooth
Specifications and features of KnightGuard
Nightguards are usually acrylic, acetate or vinyl plastics. Also, in its other type, according to the individual's problem, amalgams such as cobalt and chrome metals are used in the manufacture of this product. By using Night Guard, people prevent excess pressure on the jaw and teeth during wear and grinding and this pressure is absorbed by the protective covering of the teeth.
Types of Night Guards
In the form of night guard, they are divided into 3 main categories.
Prebuilt Nightguard
This type of night guard is usually cheaper than the other two types and because they are already prepared, they can be purchased from sports equipment stores and pharmacies. Due to the bulkiness of the prefabricated teeth guards, it will cause difficulty in breathing and disturbances when the person speaks, and work must be done on them in order to fit the person's teeth. Also, due to the low protection of this product, dentists usually do not recommend buying it.
Night Guard Boil and Bite
This type of protection is better than ready-made night guards due to the use of thermoplastic materials in its construction and can be found in various reputable sporting goods stores. The way to use it is that in order to be soft and flexible, it should be placed in warm water for a few minutes and then put on your teeth with the pressure of your finger and tongue so that it takes the form and shape that suits your teeth.
Custom Night Guard
This type of protection is also made according to the dentist's prescription and his necessary instructions in professional laboratories according to the shape and size of the individual's teeth. In fact, the doctor sends the mold of your teeth to the laboratory, where it is designed and created with a series of special protective materials suitable for your teeth. Due to the fact that this product is customized, it is slightly more expensive than the other two models; Because more time is spent on making it due to the convenience of the person when using it.
Snoring night guard
Another best-selling and widely used model is the Nite snoring model. This model of protection is used when a person has a snoring problem and it is prescribed by a pharyngologist. You can buy it and use this model to solve the problem of snoring by keeping the tongue and soft palate stable and opening the respiratory tract.
Soft and hard night guard
Many of the pre-made mouthguards on the market are made of hard acrylic, and the main reason for this is to prevent them from being pushed back by the teeth. But the soft night guard can also be easily found in the market, and the soft night guard can be purchased from reputable pharmacies. The use of soft night guards is much easier than other models, and this case is recommended when the patient's problem is not the presence of teeth grinding, etc., and it is only minor problems.
Advantages of using Night Guard
In general, in a general category, if we want to point out some of the benefits and applications of using dental cover protectors; It is possible to mention the following items:
- stopping the pain caused by pressure on the jaw during teeth grinding
- Protecting one's gums and tooth enamel
- reducing the risk of teeth misalignment
- better sleep at night
- The possibility of making it customized for each person and according to his teeth
- Prevention of teeth and protection against dental sensitivities (hot and cold)
- And….
Consequences of using dental protection
Although the side effects of Night Guard are much less compared to its benefits, it is better to be familiar with its disadvantages before taking any action to use this product so that it can be used more correctly. As mentioned, if you want to use ready-made night guards to protect your teeth, because the mold of your teeth has differences with its shape and form; It may cause problems for a person while eating, breathing and talking, which will cause him dissatisfaction.
Therefore, a good night guard should have the following features so that it does not cause problems for a person when using it for certain sports activities or teeth grinding caused by stress:
- Resistant and durable with sufficient thickness
- Comfort and no disturbance when breathing, speaking and swallowing food
- Its easy to clean
- And…
Is it possible to eat with a night guard?
Although the dental protectors that are custom-made for the person in professional laboratories will not cause any problems for the person when speaking due to the fit and fixation with his teeth, it is recommended not to eat with this device under any circumstances. The reason for this is food particles getting stuck between the guard and the teeth, thus allowing the growth of bacteria in an excellent ecosystem during night sleep. Therefore, every person should take off the guard before eating and wash it clean and dry while sleeping or using it again during the day to prevent the creation of conditions for tooth decay.
Tips on the maintenance and use of tooth protector
Teeth guards are widely used and usually athletes or some people use this practical device for various reasons to protect their teeth from wear. But one of the most important points when using night guards is to observe health and care matters, which are mentioned in the following section:
- Brushing and flossing before using night guard
- Don't chew food as much as possible when using Protector tooth
- Wash it after each use with cold water, soap or toothpaste
- keeping and taking care of the tooth protector in its own box
- avoid bending it
- Not placing the Night Guard box under direct sunlight in order to prevent
