Mouthguards (Athletic) & Nightguards
Athletic Mouthguards (Sportsguards)
Our Allen, TX dental team creates custom-fitted athletic mouthguards to be worn during sports activities. Made of soft plastic, these guards are comfortable in the mouth as they protect teeth and gums from sports-related injuries.
Nightguards
We also create custom nightguards to be worn during sleep to mitigate the consequences of nighttime tooth clenching and grinding (also known as bruxism), which wear down teeth at the same time as commonly causing headaches and other pain in the jaw and neck. Most people are unaware of their tooth grinding habits since the act occurs during sleep, but this habit is readily detectable by your dentist since it is manifested as wear on teeth. Tooth wear from involuntary grinding is a gradual, lifelong process that can lead issues that compromise cosmetics (ranging from jagged to severely miniaturized teeth) and comfort (due to the wearing away of tooth enamel leading to increased sensitivity). The habit of tooth clenching and grinding, if present, is unavoidable, but the use of a custom nightguard will prevent tooth wear as well as head-and-neck pain. See images below for a clear understanding of the progression of tooth wear as a result of grinding.
Figure 1. Healthy teeth with no signs of wear. Notice the black arrow points to teeth with a knife edge. The edges of these teeth are not flat and fully covered by enamel.
Figure 2. Early Stage of Tooth Wear from Grinding. Notice the black arrow points to a tooth with a flattened and thickened edge (compare to knife edge in Figure 1). Further, notice the yellow line in the center of the flattened edge; this yellow line reveals the inner layer of tooth structure called dentin. Some of the enamel, which has a whiter and more translucent color, has been worn away at the edges from grinding.
Figure 3. Middle Stage of Tooth Wear from Grinding. The arrow points to a tooth edge that is even thicker and flatter than that of Figure 2. Also, notice how there is more yellow at the edges of the teeth. This means more enamel has been ground away and more dentin (the inner layer of tooth structure) is being exposed.
Figure 4. Late Stage of Tooth Wear from Grinding. This is the end stage of tooth wear as a consequence of years and years of unprotected grinding. All the teeth are worn down and the bite has completely collapsed. In order to restore this case, full mouth reconstruction involving root canals and crowns on every tooth will be required.
