Mouthguards are dental appliances helpful to protect teeth from grinding or clenching and from injuries when playing sports. However, mouthguards also reduce snoring and relieve obstructive sleep apnea.
Unfortunately, not all dental appliances like mouthguards are similar. Depending on your needs, you can find three different kinds. If you want to learn about the different varieties and which mouthguards best suits your needs, we recommend you read this article for more information.
Stock Mouthguards: Stock mouthguards are widespread and affordable, being available in most sports goods stores and drugstores. Small, medium and large sizes are generally available in stock mouthguards to fit over your teeth. These appliances cover your top teeth.
Despite the easy availability at affordable prices, stock mouthguards have some downsides. Their limited size options make them uncomfortable not to provide a comfortable fit. These appliances make it difficult for you to talk when wearing one.
Boil and Bite Mouthguards: These devices are also available in sports goods stores and drugstores and are relatively affordable. Boil and bite mouthguards are available in one size, customizable to fit your teeth. The customization involves boiling the device to soften it before placing it over your teeth and biting down. You must ensure you follow the provider’s instructions to get the best fit.
Customized Mouthguards: You can also purchase personalized mouthguards from a dental clinic near you after providing the facility with moulds of your teeth for the dentist to create a device explicitly for your mouth. Customized mouthguards provide a better fit than the other varieties and are more comfortable and challenging to dislodge when sleeping.
If you grind and clench your teeth or are affected by sleep apnea which causes snoring, you find customized mouthguards suited for your needs. These devices are more expensive, but dental insurance providers cover some of the costs.
If you snore when sleeping, you are affected by sleep apnea, a severe sleep disorder causing you to temporarily stop breathing when sleeping. The interruptions in breathing prevent your brain from receiving sufficient oxygen to increase the risks of heart disease and stroke. The condition also causes excessive snoring, leaving you exhausted during the day.
Severe cases of snoring require evaluation by a sleep medicine specialist who might recommend a CPAP device to keep your airways open when you sleep. However, a customized mouthguard can deliver similar effects if you have mild sleep apnea.
Customized mouthguards for sleep apnea do not merely cover your teeth. The device functions by pushing your lower jaw and tongue forward to keep your airway open. Some varieties have straps going around your head and chin to readjust your lower jaw. Therefore if you have mild sleep apnea, you can overlook the stock and boil and bite mouthguards that don’t serve the purpose.
Mouthguards also help reduce snoring due to vibrations of the soft tissues in the upper airway. There are similar to mouthguards for sleep apnea. You might find many brands promoting themselves as remedies for sleep apnea available online. However, sufficient research isn’t available to authenticate their claims. Therefore, if snoring affects your quality of life, it helps if you discuss your needs with your dentist about mouthguard options. They might make one for you or suggest a device that has worked for someone else.
If you want to permanently stop snoring naturally, you can try many techniques that medical professionals suggest. For example, you can consider using weight if you are overweight, sleep on your sides instead of your back, quit smoking, alcohol, and sedatives and get sufficient sleep.
You can also keep your head raised or use nasal strips and look for remedies for nasal congestion or obstruction. However, you find customized mouthguards a better option to overcome the problem of snoring faster.
If you snore with a closed mouth, it indicates that your body cannot move air freely to the nose and throat because your upper airway is partially closed. The snoring could result from a blockage in your nostrils from a deviated septum or physical obstructions resulting in nose-based snoring. Alternative reasons for snoring with your mouth closed include nose stiffness, cold, using medications, pet and dust allergies, et cetera. Nasal snoring is also treatable depending on the reason for it.
Besides being effective against sporting injuries, mouthguards also help with snoring and bruxism. If snoring diminishes your quality of life, bruxism causes you to schedule visits to the emergency dentist in Niagara Falls for treatments or damaged teeth.
If you decide to invest in night & mouth guards, you can find relief from both issues to lead a better quality of life.
If you are affected by sleep apnea or bruxism, Monarch Dentistry provides customized mouthguards and night guards to help against these issues. In addition, arranging a meeting with the practice enables you to find relief from the problems by making a small investment.