Designed to prevent tooth and soft-tissue injury, mouth guards form a protective covering over your teeth. Commonly used in contact sports such as football and boxing, mouth guards also have applications in dentistry for the prevention of teeth grinding. The types of mouth guards include ready-to-wear, boil-and-bite, vacuum and pressure-laminated.
Stock Mouth Guards
Stock, or ready-to-wear, mouth guards come generically fitted for all mouth types. This type of mouth guard can be found at sporting-goods stores for a relatively inexpensive price. As basic, non-fitted mouth guards, they are mainly used by amateur and recreational athletes as a form of mouth protection. Since the shape of ready-to-wear mouth guards cannot be adjusted, they are known to cause gum discomfort and interfere with breathing, the "Journal of Clinical Orthodontics" reports.
Boil-and-Bite Mouth Guards
Boil-and-bite mouth guards, also available at sporting-goods stores, offer a more fitted protective covering. Made from thermoplastic, you boil this type of mouth guard in water for a short period of time before initial use. By gently biting down and pressing on the mouth guard while soft, it forms a mold unique to your mouth. More advanced athletes require the better fit of boil-and-bite mouth guards for better performance and protection, the journal "Dental Traumatology" explains.
Vacuum Mouth Guards
Vacuum mouth guards are custom-fitted and offer greater protection and comfort. Made by dentists, these mouth guards are typically used by professional athletes, as well as non-athletes for prevention of teeth grinding. The improved wearability and breathability that vacuum mouth guards offer comes at a price. Taking one to two weeks to fabricate and costing up to several times more than boil-and-bite counterparts, vacuum mouth guards can be considered a small but worthy investment.
Pressure-Laminated Mouth Guards
Pressure-laminated mouth guards, similar to vacuum guards in terms of cost and benefit, also require fabrication by a dentist. This type of custom-fitted mouth guard increases protection through multiple layers of thermoplastic material, as opposed to the single layer offered by vacuum guards. The added layers act in decreasing impact force to the teeth and gums, according to "Dental Traumatology." For this reason, athletes who can afford and require such an application often choose pressure-laminated mouth guards as their protective mouth solution.
References
- "Journal of Clinical Orthodontics"; Mouthguards and orthodontics; R.G. Keim; January 2010
- "Dental Traumatology"; Wearability and physiological effects of custom-fitted vs self-adapted mouthguards; Duarte Pereira D.M.; August 2008
