Why choose custom made mouthguards?

Bruxism or teeth grinding is a condition, which causes a person to grind or clench their teeth during the night or day.

Teeth grinding in very common nowadays as a direct cause of a fast pace life and increasing stress in our lives. Bruxism can have very serious consequences if left untreated: wear on the teeth, cracks and fractures, headaches, muscle aches, TMJ issues.

The only way to treat bruxism is using a mouthguard. This device covers the teeth and acts as a barrier between the teeth, preventing them touching.

You can find various mouthguards on the market to address tooth grinding, however not all mouth guards are created equally:

• Boil and bite mouthguards are commercially accessible mouthguards, which have standard size and shape.  This has to be boiled at home, cooled and placed in the mouth to take the shape of the teeth. The advantage is you don’t have to wait for the lab to make it for you, you can use it right away once you have molded it. The disadvantage is the low durability and it being very user sensitive, not to mention potential burn injuries caused by not cooling it enough before biting into it.

• Mail-in custom mouthguards have become increasingly popular in the last years, as people are more and more tech and DIY oriented. With these custom mouth guards, you receive an impression(mold) kit, which you use to take a mold of your teeth and then ship back. These mouth guards have the best fit as they are technically identical to the ones made by the dentist. These are good alternatives to the mouthguards made at the dentist office at much lower prices. The disadvantage is the waiting time, as you have to take the impression, then send it back to have the guard made, which takes time obviously. But some things are worth waiting for! Visit www.toothwear.ie/shop to check out our range of custom mail-in mouthguards!