Save Your Smile with the Right Mouth Guard

jhon | July 8, 2025

The right mouth guards are important dental gear that was designed to protect your teeth, jaw, and gums from injuries and/or destruction, mostly when one is engaged in an activity that involves great impact and during sleep. At Butternut Dental Care, we present the importance of using a mouth guard that fits to strike a balance between favorable oral health and the prevention of unnecessary dental trauma.

Benefits of Wearing a Mouth Guard

Prevents Tooth Damage
Reduces the Risk of Jaw Fractures
Protects Soft Tissues (Lips, Tongue, Cheeks)
Prevents Bruxism-related Wear and Tear
Alleviates Jaw Pain and TMJ Symptoms
Enhances Athletic Performance by Reducing Stress on Jaw Muscles

Types of Mouth Guards

Mouthguards come in three forms, namely stock, boil-and-bite, and custom-fitted mouthguards. Each type offers a unique work-like protection and customization.

1. Stock Mouth Guards

This type of dental splint is preassembled and ready to wear. Meanwhile, stock mouthguards are the least expensive. Meanwhile, this type of dental splint offers little protection due to poor fit as well as limited adjustability. Stock dental splints are the least bulky and may obstruct speaking as well as breathing.

2. Boil-and-Bite Mouth Guards

Boil-and-bite mouthguards are also crafted from thermoplastic material, and these oral splints are on sale in drugstores. Those who use the boil-and-bite mouthguard are a little apart but not as precise as a custom-fit protector. Usage of boil-and-bite intraoral appliances involves softening them in hot water and further molding them around their teeth using fingers as well as tongue pressure.

3. Custom-Fitted Mouth Guards

Custom-fitted dental splints are also developed by a dentist, and such guards are more comfortable and provide greater protection. In the meantime, they are also targeted at athletes and individuals who use braces and have bruxism (grinding of teeth).

Why You Might Need a Mouth Guard

Mouthguards are used for many purposes, including

Sports Protection: Boxing and hockey, as well as football and basketball, are contact sports that are at a higher risk of dental injury. A mouthguard, on the other hand, also protects your teeth and your jaw and is a shock absorber.
Bruxism (Teeth Grinding): The majority of individuals also grind or clench while asleep or awake, and this process results in abrasions, pain to the jaws, and even cracking of teeth. At the same time, a night guard is a protective layer between the teeth and reduces damage.
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorders: To ease the symptoms, it is advised to wear dental splint that can lessen the tension in the jaws and correct the bite.

Pediatric Use: Do Kids Need Mouth Guards?

Yes. Children involved with sports or who grind their teeth at night can be greatly helped by the custom-made occlusal Guard. There are pediatric alternatives that can be modified as the child develops.

Proper Care and Maintenance

To help justify the effectiveness and durability of your mouthguard, apply the following tips and tricks:

Before and after use, rinse with cool water or with mouthwash.
Wipe it with a toothbrush and light soap.
Please keep it in a hard and ventilated container so as to avoid damage and bacterial growth.
It should not be left under any high temperatures (such as hot water or sun rays), as that will deform the shape.
Carry it during dental visits and examinations by professionals.

Professional Guidance is Key

Although the sale of bruxism appliances is possible without a prescription, the help of a dental professional will guarantee that your guard is safe, effective, and tailored to your particular needs. At Butternut Dental Care, we offer professional analysis and custom-fit bruxism appliances to ensure the safety of your tooth perimeter, whether you are on the field or lying in bed.

Conclusion

Spending money on a good mouth guard is an easy but effective means to keep your oral health. Whether it is inhibiting injury during sports or helping you to control stress-induced teeth grinding at nighttime, the right mouth guard can help you a great deal. Do not hesitate to turn to Butternut Dental Care in case you believe that you need one of them. We are a team that will assist you in getting the right solution to your dental protection.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Do I need a mouth guard if I don’t play contact sports?

Yes, the right mouth guards do not only belong to football players or boxers. Wearing an intraoral appliance is a clever idea at night when you grind your teeth (a condition known as bruxism), when you have problems with the jaw, or if you do any sport where a fall can harm your mouth, such as biking, skating, or doing gymnastics.

2. What’s the difference between a store-bought mouth guard and one from a dentist?

Commercial guards are low-priced and convenient to attain in terms of their distribution, but they are not always easily fitted and are cumbersome. A dentist-made mouthguard fits perfectly to your mouth; it is more comfortable, protects, and lasts longer. Consider it as being similar to off-the-shelf shoes as opposed to a pair that is made to fit perfectly.

3. Can a mouth guard help with teeth grinding or clenching?

Absolutely. Night guards (a form of mouthguard) form a shield between your teeth. They soften the destructive effects of the grinding force, diminish the tension of the jaw muscles, and avert such drawn-out conditions as breaking off of teeth, eroding enamel, and headaches.

4. How long does a mouth guard last?

It all depends on the frequency of use and maintenance. A custom oral splint can be used for a fairly long time with the help of proper care and storage, but a store-bought model can require changing up to every 6 to 12 months because of wear.

5. Can kids and teens wear mouth guards?

Yes, they need to, especially when they are sports-related. Children's mouth guards may be fitted especially on growing mouths, and they may be altered/reproduced when required because your child is growing teeth.