Bite Guards

A bite guard or a mouthguard is an oral appliance used to protect the teeth from abrasive action. It keeps the teeth from undergoing severe wear and also protects them from external trauma. Most mouthguards are made from dental-grade plastic material that is an excellent absorber of impact forces and exhibits excellent durability.

What Is Bruxism?

Bruxism is an oral condition where the patient clenches their jaw and grinds their teeth subconsciously, especially while asleep. Due to this, a lot of stress may be applied to the TMJ joints that connect the lower jaw to the skull and surrounding facial muscles. It also leads to excessive wear of the teeth, due to which they may end up being worn down to their stubs if left untreated for a long time. Bruxism is a common symptom of sleep apnea — a sleep-related disorder also characterized by loud snoring.

Why Choose A Customized Bite Guard?

Patients who wish to get a bite guard to protect their teeth can easily buy one from their local drugstore. However, such bite guards would be one-size-fits-all or boil-and-bite variants, which do not offer your teeth a perfect fit. And because they don’t fit well, they may tend to slip off of your mouth or get displaced easily, making them quite uncomfortable to use. With prolonged use, the alignment of your teeth may even change slightly, leading to a malocclusion. Also, the edges of the mouthguard may rub extensively against the soft gum tissues, causing inflammation and bleeding.

Hence, we suggest our patients get a customized bite guard from our dental practice in Santa Rosa, CA to achieve the best desired results. We will diagnose your oral condition thoroughly and determine which type of bite guard suits you the best. Next, we will scan your teeth and use the data to make a digital impression of your teeth. Using this impression as the main reference, the bite guard will be fabricated to fit your dental structure. It would offer unparalleled fit and comfort, thus keeping it from getting displaced from your mouth. Moreover, it will keep your teeth from grinding against each other while you sleep, protecting them from unnecessary wear and tear that would have required serious dental attention.

Schedule a consultation with our highly trained team of dental experts, and we'll guide you further. Please call us at (707) 635-6565 or reach us through online consultation.