Why Would I Need A Mouth Guard?
Salem, OR
 A mouth guard can protect your teeth, and there are some situations that a patient may want to have that protection. At Fairmount Dental Center, we can create a customized mouth guard designed to fit your specific mouth, this will increase its comfort, your willingness to wear it and ultimately its effectiveness.
Mouth guards are a silicon appliance that is designed to be worn over your teeth. They can be helpful to patients when:
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Playing Sports: There are some sports that will require the player to wear a mouth guard, but that does not mean that they are the only sports where a mouth guard is a good idea. Mouth injuries are the number one injury reported in most sports, including football, soccer, baseball, basketball, and more. You can protect your teeth, or your childs teeth, with a mouthguard. The biggest complaint among most people wearing a mouth guard is that they are bulky or uncomfortable, having your piece customized can vastly increase yours or your childs comfort.
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Dealing with Bruxism: A common sleeping condition is the clenching or grinding of teeth while you sleep, this is known as bruxism. Bruxism is often temporary, but the damage can be extreme, including cracks and fractures in your teeth. Protect your teeth with a fitted mouth guard while you sleep.
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Extreme Outdoor Activities From hiking to biking, jumping and more, your teeth can be in danger when participating in outdoor activities. You can protect your teeth with a simple mouth guard saving yourself pain, money and time in the chair. |
Protecting your Child’s Smile
Your child is going to face some bumps and bruises, these will heal, but their permanent teeth will not. Your child’s permanent teeth need to be healthy for many, many years. You can help protect those teeth with a mouth guard. When your child is riding their bike, playing a team sport, skateboarding, or more, don’t just protect their shins and elbows, protect their teeth too.
Custom Mouth Guards vs. Store Bought
Patients who are looking for mouth guards can find both custom mouth guards and store-bought mouth guards. Both will provide some level of protection. The large advantage to a custom mouth guard is having one that is designed to fit your mouth. This may not sound overly advantageous, but patients who find their mouth guard to be bulky or poor fitting tend not to wear them. We are happy to review mouth guards with you and make suggestions based on your needs.
Caring for Your Mouth Guard
Caring for your mouth guard is simple. After each use simply give it a little rinse and store it in the container provided. Keep it out of high heat like in the car, this can weaken the plastic material. Occasionally take it into the bathroom with you and give it a quick brush or a rinse with mouthwash, this will keep it fresh and ready for wear.
Questions? Our team at Fairmount Dental Center can help. Contact us today!
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