Protect Your Smile with a Night Guard or Sports Mouthguard
At Avalon Dental Care, protecting your smile is always our top priority. Whether you suffer from nighttime teeth grinding or participate in high-impact or contact sports, a custom-made night guard or sports mouthguard can significantly reduce your risk of dental injuries and preserve your beautiful smile. Contact our Lomita practice to get started today.
What Are Night Guards?
If you wake up with regular headaches, jaw pain, or sensitive teeth, you may be grinding and clenching your teeth as you sleep, a condition known as bruxism. Over time, the constant forces of grinding and clenching can disrupt your sleep and cause uneven tooth wear or fracture, tooth sensitivity, and even temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain.
A custom night guard is an oral appliance that helps reduce the devastating impacts of grinding and clenching on your oral health and overall well-being. While it is not a cure for bruxism, your protective guard will shield your teeth from the grinding forces, preventing wear and fractures. It will also help reduce morning headaches, jaw pain, and TMJ symptoms. Wearing a custom night guard can help you wake up feeling refreshed and pain-free.
What Are Sports Mouthguards?
Participating in contact or high-impact sports, including baseball, football, basketball, skateboarding, or even gymnastics, can leave you at risk of dental injuries. A sports mouthguard helps absorb and distribute the forces of sudden impacts, significantly reducing the risk of dental injuries, including chipped, broken, or knocked-out teeth, lip and cheek lacerations, and even jaw fractures.
While store-bought, one-size-fits-all options are available, a custom-made sports mouthguard offered by your trusted team at Avalon Dental Care is tailored to your unique bite, ensuring it stays securely in place. Custom mouthguards make it easier to breathe, speak, and focus on your performance while offering the best possible fit, comfort, and protection.
Can Night Guards and Sports Mouthguards Be Worn Interchangeably?
Night guards and sports mouthguards are oral appliances designed to protect your smile. However, they are created from different materials and have different purposes, meaning you should never wear them interchangeably. For example, wearing a sports mouthguard as a night guard can be uncomfortable and provide inadequate protection for your teeth and jaw. Sports mouthguards are made from softer, bulkier materials designed to absorb sudden impacts rather than withstand prolonged clenching and grinding forces.
Similarly, wearing a night guard during sports activities will not provide you with adequate protection. Night guards are typically thinner and more rigid, making them unsuitable for absorbing the shock of a sports-related impact. This can increase the risk of injury to your teeth, lips, and jaw. Our team at Avalon Dental Care is happy to recommend the ideal mouthguard option to provide the best protection for your smile.
Custom Night Guards and Sports Mouthguards Near Me in Lomita, CA
If you grind or clench your teeth during sleep or participate in high-impact or contact sports, consider consulting our team at Avalon Dental Care about safeguarding your smile with a custom night guard or sports mouthguard. Our patient-centered team is dedicated to using the latest technology and highest-quality materials to provide the best possible protection for your smile. We invite you to call 310-530-3100 to schedule an appointment or book your visit online today!
