Occlusal Splint or Nightguard
A nightguard is designed to prevent damage to teeth and is often used to treat patients with temperomandibular joint disorder (TMJD). Patients who grind or clench their teeth during the day or evening are often prescribed a nightguard to protect teeth and fillings from breakage. Many patients suffer from TMJD and require treatment to alleviate pain caused by this disease. One element of treatment of this disease is to wear a nightguard. We generally make a hybrid nightguard which has a soft inner material and a hard outer material.
Procedure
- During the first visit, an impression and bite registration is taken of the patient’s upper and lower teeth.
- A mold is created from the impression and sent to a laboratory to have the appliance made.
- A second visit to the office is necessary to adjust the nightguard for a comfortable fit and proper occlusion.
Sports Mouthguard
Mouth guards are made to protect the teeth while doing sports activities. Sports guards can be bought at drugstores; however, if you desire a custom fit mouthguard, we can provide that service.
For a custom sports/mouth guard to be made for you, we take an impression of your teeth and make a sports/mouth guard. Custom-made sports/mouth guards are designed to “grip” each individual tooth and therefore is much more supportive during impact. You will never achieve this type of fit using boilable sports/mouth guards. Sports/mouth guards should be replaced about every 6 months for children and once they stop growing, or for adults then once a season is sufficient. We recommend that you bring your sports/mouth guard with you for your regular check-ups and we can check to see if it still fits properly.