What is a Mouth Guard?

A mouth guard, or mouth protector, is worn for protection of the teeth from damage. It is a flexible device which is custom made for the individual.

Advantages of using a Mouth Guard

To protect against physical impact

A mouth guard is commonly used in athletics to protect the teeth from potential trauma. It will safeguard against tooth injuries such as chipped teeth, broken teeth, root damage, bone damage, and tooth loss, as well as more serious harm (eg: jaw fractures, cerebral hemorrhages, concussions and neck injuries). It will prevent significant impact between the upper and lower jaws.

A mouth guard is presently a requirement of the U.S. National Collegiate Athletic Association only for four sports i.e. ice hockey, lacrosse, field hockey and football. Nevertheless, the American Dental Association has recommended the use of the mouth guard for 29 sports (including the aforementioned four sports), all providing the possibility of physical impact.

To protect against orthodontic appliances

A guard can also be used to protect the soft tissue present in the mouth (cheeks, lips, tongue) from cutting and bruising as a result of braces, fixed anterior bridgework and orthodontic appliances.
A dentist will provide advice with regard to the selection of an appropriate mouth guard depending on the purpose of its use.

A mouth guard will commonly cover only the upper teeth. A mouth guard to be used for the lower teeth also may be recommended in cases of a protruding jaw or where dental appliances (braces, retainers, bridgework or implant-supported dentures) are worn on the lower jaw.

Requirements of a Mouth Guard

A mouth guard should

• Allow ease of speaking
• Allow uninhibited breathing
• Be stable and stay in place during movement
• Be comfortable and have a good fit
• Be durable, resilient and tear resistant
• Be easy to clean
• Be odorless and tasteless

Reasons for non-use of Mouth Guards

Mouth guards are not used in situations where they are appropriate due to many reasons. As specifically pertaining to athletics, these reasons include:

• Use of mouth guards for most sports is only a recommendation and not a requirement.
• Ignorance of coaches and parents of the safety value of the mouth guards in sports.
• Gender bias, where females are perceived to be less aggressive and at a reduced risk of injury due to physical impact.

In general, reasons for non-use of mouth guards also include:

• Perception that mouth guards are not “cool”
• Ill fit and discomfort
• Impaired speaking ability and breathing
• Cost factor, especially in cases where mouth guards are custom fitted
• Hassle of proper use and care

Types of Mouth Guards

Night guards

Night guards (also known as Michigan splints, Occlusal splints, bite splints or bite planes) are custom made removable devices for the teeth. They are recommended only for night used. The purpose of the night guards are:

• To provide protection for the teeth and restorations
• To lessen problems caused by jaw tension (eg: headaches, neck aches)
• To stabilize a person’s bite for certain dental procedures
• To guard against night-time Bruxism (involuntary clenching or grinding of teeth) – to reduce the damage to the teeth and the possibility of tooth fractures

Night guards are not appropriate for use other than this as they are not sufficiently tough to protect against physical impact. Protection for this purpose is provided athletic mouth guards.

Anterior deprogrammer

This is a type of mouth guard used to relax the jaw muscles. It is used by people who have chronic or severe bruxism. The regularity of use will depend on the extent and type of the condition.

Anterior deprogrammers include:

• NTI (Nociception Trigeminal Inhibitor) – Used for relieving tension headaches, bruxism and TMJ disorder, by preventing the back teeth from making contact with each other. For this purpose, a small, clear plastic device is worn over the teeth at night.
• B (Bruxism) splint – Usually worn in daytime, but can also be used at night along with another dental device to guard against bite changes.
• Kois appliances – Worn to relieve muscle fatigue and headaches at night.