Mouth Guards

Professionally made mouth guards are a versatile appliance with a number of uses, protecting your smile from sports-related injuries and keeping tooth grinding, sleep apnoea and snoring at bay.

At Cosmetic & Family Dentistry, we can create durable, bespoke mouth guards to fit the exact proportions of your mouth, giving you the freedom to practice contact sports safely, improve the quality of your sleep and feel free from bruxism-related aches and pains.

What should I know about custom-made mouth guards?

The custom-made mouth guards created by dentists are an ideal fit for your teeth, as they’re made by taking dental impressions. These impressions (or moulds) are sent away to a lab, where your mouth guard is created. We’re also able to choose a specific thickness for your mouth guard, depending on your requirements. Your mouth guard is totally unique to your needs and your smile.

Sports mouth guards

Over the years, we’ve seen beautiful smiles sustain serious damage through contact sports, and met many patients who regret not having protected their teeth with a custom-fitting mouth guard. If you’re passionate about sports including rugby, boxing and hockey, we can’t emphasise how important it is to invest in a professionally-made mouth guard. Those who play contact sports have a 33-56% chance of sustaining an injury to the mouth or the face during their playing career. The one-size-fits-all ‘boil and bite’ guards that can be purchased over-the-counter offer only a fraction of protection against impact, in comparison to their custom-made counterparts.

What are the benefits of custom-fitting mouth guards during contact sports?

• Keep your smile safe: mouth guards protect your teeth from sports-related injuries.
• An appliance made just for you: as your mouth guard is made to suit your unique tooth structure, it will provide optimum comfort and eliminate gag reflex, which can often be a hindrance in the case of over-the-counter versions.
• Pride in your smile: injuries that lead to tooth loss can leave you feeling lacking in confidence. In protecting your smile from the risk of tooth loss and other injuries that could significantly alter the aesthetic of your smile, you’re investing in your self-esteem and wellbeing too.

Mouth guards for tooth grinding

Long-term tooth grinding has the potential to cause numerous complications, not only with your teeth, but with other parts of your body. Jaw pain, headaches, earache and neck pain are all associated with excessive tooth grinding. Left untreated, these issues can go on to affect your sleep patterns and hinder your concentration during the day. Mouth guards can be worn at night to prevent your upper and lower teeth from grinding against each other whilst you sleep.

What are the benefits of custom-fitting mouth guards to combat tooth grinding?

No more aches and pains: wearing a mouth guard will eliminate jaw, neck, ear and head pain you might be experiencing on a regular basis.
Function at your very best: the aches and pains that accompany tooth grinding can take their toll on your ability to fulfil your personal and professional responsibilities. A mouth guard will help you remain pain-free, so you can feel great every minute of the day.
Protect your smile: chronic tooth grinding can wear down your teeth, making them more prone to cavities and decay.

Mouth guards for sleep apnoea and snoring

Bespoke mouth guards are highly effective in preventing snoring and sleep apnoea, stopping your lower jaw from falling back, and inadvertently blocking your airways whilst your sleep.

What are the benefits of custom-fitting mouth guards to combat sleep apnoea and snoring?

Improved quality of sleep and healthier breathing patterns: custom mouth guards keep your airways open, reducing your chances of waking suddenly during sleep. They also promote better breathing patterns.

Improve relationships with loved ones: we meet many patients who sleep apart from their partners because of the impact sleep apnoea and snoring has on their relationships. Overtime this can take its toll, not only physically, but emotionally too. Custom mouth guards keep noise associated with sleep apnoea and snoring at bay.