Mouthguard for teeth - reliable protection and effective treatment

Orthodontic aligners for teeth

These are structures for aligning the dentition, which are made according to individual casts of the patient’s jaws. Unfortunately, not all such mouthguards for correcting bites are able to cope with serious anomalies. They are mainly effective for eliminating interdental gaps and correcting some malocclusion pathologies. However, when it comes to Invisalign® orthodontic aligners, they can be safely considered as an alternative to braces. See photos of dental aligners below.

Photos of aligners

Teething trays

There is another type of dental trays for straightening teeth - trainers. They are also called teething trays, teething guides or LM activators. Various models of this type of mouth guard are made from silicone. They come in several sizes. Despite the name, teething mouth guards are actually used to correct the jaw relationship and align the incisors in children aged 6 – 10 years, that is, in the early mixed dentition stage. How long to wear dental guards? The mouth guards must be worn by the child for several hours during the day and throughout the night. The treatment period is usually about a year with periodic monitoring of intermediate results based on impressions of the jaws made at different stages of correction.

Teeth whitening trays

If you want to achieve a snow-white smile, but in-office whitening procedures in a clinic are not suitable for you for some reason, you can make your teeth whiter at home using professional systems using a customized, standard or thermoplastic disposable dental tray and whitening gel. However, in this case, you will still need to visit your dentist to take impressions for a custom mouthguard or to simply learn how to use dental aligners. At the same time, you must be prepared for the fact that the whitening process using this technology will not be fast and will take at least a month, since the percentage of hydrogen peroxide in the gel is lower than that of in-office whitening systems. But this method is considered the most suitable for teeth with increased sensitivity.

How to put a mouth guard on your teeth for home whitening? First, you need to brush your teeth, apply the gel to the inside of the mouthguard and put it on, pressing slightly so that the gel is distributed evenly. After this, you need to rinse your mouth and wear the mouth guard for the time specified in the instructions. Then the mouthguard should be removed and the mouth should be rinsed with water again.

Mouthguard for applications on teeth

Trays for dental applications are also used for remineralization procedures. A special gel or paste is applied to the inner surface of the mouth guard and pressed tightly against the teeth. Regular wearing of a device filled with a mineralizing composition can effectively strengthen and restore tooth enamel. These mouth guards come in standard and thermoplastic types. Thermoplastic dental mouthguard is made from a flexible material that softens when immersed in hot water. After this, it is immediately put on the teeth, and the material hardens. To learn how to make a mouth guard for your teeth, watch the video below.

Photos of individual trays for whitening and mineralization

Mouthguard for athletes made of silicone

Such mouthguards are used to protect teeth in contact or extreme sports - football, hockey, boxing. Sports mouthguards are worn over the front teeth and reduce the strong physical impact not only on the teeth, but also on soft tissues and even the cervical spine.

Based on manufacturing methods, there are two types of sports mouthguards:

1. Standard sports mouth guard

Sold in any sports stores, made the same for everyone.

2. Individual sports mouth guard.

It is made individually for a specific person using impressions of his teeth, taking into account their anatomical shape. They cost much more, but are also much more convenient, since they fit on the teeth “like family.”

Color

The color of the mouthguard is not regulated by sports organizations. Manufacturers produce a variety of options. Not only models of different colors are sold - there are mouth guards with drawings and inscriptions.

Manufacturers offer products with various flavor interpretations, with mint flavor being the most popular. This plant is an antiseptic; it not only serves as protection against pathogenic bacteria, but also freshens breath.

Coaches recommend that their players choose mouthguards of light colors, without any smell or taste, so that they do not remind anyone of their presence and do not distract the athletes during a fight or game.

Dental mouth guard

Unlike a sports mouthguard, which is used only for impact protection, a dental mouthguard has a wider range of applications. A dental mouth guard is made from special plastic materials – silicone or polyurethane.

The convenience of the mouth guard is that it can be used to solve many problems - from therapeutic to orthodontic treatment. And at the same time, the mouthguards are convenient to use - the patient can take them off and put them on himself, according to the schedule established by the attending physician.

The process of making a custom mouth guard

The production process of individual mouthguards takes place in several stages.

· Taking impressions. Based on them, a working model is made in the laboratory, scanned and a three-dimensional image is displayed on a computer.

· Development of a treatment plan. At this stage, the doctor, using a special program, predicts the results of treatment and, based on them, determines how many individual trays the patient will need.

· Manufacturing of structures. In accordance with the predicted results of treatment, a set of individual mouth guards is made for the patient. They are packaged in a special container and sent to the doctor.

The patient puts on the first mouthguard at the appointment. The doctor gives him recommendations and sets the next date for his visit.

Orthodontic dental guards

These aligners are used to correct malocclusions. At the moment, there are several types of orthodontic aligners on the market from different manufacturers, including Star Smile aligners, the well-known aligners.

But not all orthodontic aligners are capable of solving serious bite problems; they only help to close the spaces between the teeth and correct minor curvatures.

Much has changed when Russian-made orthodontic mouthguards or aligners from the Star Smile company appeared; they became serious competitors to braces, since they can correct almost all defects in the development of bite.

Possible causes of bruxism

1. Congenital or acquired defects of the jaw caused by colds, infectious diseases or injuries.
2. Dental problems. Uncomfortable dentures and braces, unsuccessfully installed fillings made of poor quality material, incorrect bite. With the latter, a person unconsciously tries to put his teeth in the correct position, and since the process is not controlled, the chewing surfaces make a grinding sound.
3. It is possible that there are worms in the body - the relationship with this is not obvious, but parasites always cause a deficiency of B vitamins, and their deficiency, in turn, affects problems with emotional stability.
4. Psychological trauma or prolonged stress, psychosis, depression, which can cause spasm in the masticatory-jaw muscles.

If in children bruxism is most often caused by physiological reasons, then in adults it is caused by psychological ones.

In this regard, the opinions of psychoneurologists are interesting: according to them, during the day a person is distracted from his pathological state by many problems, but the muscles “remember” their usual work and as soon as peace sets in, the affective charge accumulated during the day is realized in attacks of bruxism.

Children's mouth guards for proper teething

These are silicone overlays for teeth, which are also called, among others. retainers, trainers. They are called teething mouthguards because they are most often used during the period of change of baby teeth to molars in children aged six to ten years.

The main purpose of teething trays or teething guides is to correct the position of the jaws and align the position of the child’s incisors during the period of early mixed dentition. They are worn for several hours during the day and all night while sleeping. The treatment period is approximately one year; during treatment, it is necessary to periodically visit an orthodontist to monitor the changes occurring.

Also, during the period of mixed dentition, children's aligners are used - children's orthodontic aligners. Since 2021, such mouth guards have also been produced by the Star Smile company.

Neutralization of bruxism

Bruxism affects up to 60% of children and about 12% of adults. But the data for adults is unreliable - who will record this phenomenon in lonely people in old age, when they are left alone? So the problem can be considered global; this condition occurs in people of all ages, genders and races, and regardless of their social status.

The load on the teeth during grinding with their gradual loosening, as well as the abrasion and crumbling of the enamel, can be neutralized by a mouthguard applied before bedtime.

Teeth whitening trays

There are at-home teeth whitening systems that also use dental trays. Whitening trays can be customized, standard, or disposable. Before using any whitening system, you should visit your dentist to determine what is right for you and will not harm your tooth enamel.

An individual mouthguard is made personally for the patient based on impressions of his teeth. For whitening, a special gel is used that is placed inside the tray.

Whitening at home usually takes longer than at the dentist's office because the gel used at home contains less hydrogen peroxide.

The whitening procedure should be carried out strictly according to the instructions provided. The gel is placed on the inside of the mouth guard, after which the mouth guard is put on and specially pressed to distribute the gel evenly. After putting it on, rinse your mouth with water and wear the mouthguard exactly as long as the instructions say. After removing the whitening tray, you should also rinse your mouth with water.

Applications on teeth using trays

These mouth guards are used to restore and strengthen tooth enamel. A special composition is placed inside the mouthguard, thanks to which the teeth are remineralized.

There are two types of mouth guards for dental applications – standard and thermoplastic.

Thermoplastic ones react to heat and soften when placed in hot water, and harden when put on the teeth.

Indications for remotherapy

Tooth enamel is a kind of crystalline network up to 2 mm thick, consisting of 96% inorganic compounds. The porous structure of this hard shell of the tooth allows acids and enzymes contained in food and saliva to penetrate into it. Under the influence of these aggressive substances, some of the minerals in the enamel dissolve, the tooth shell becomes thinner and loses strength.

Remotherapy is used to eliminate defects that have arisen due to a deficiency of mineral components in tooth enamel, in order to strengthen it, and also as a means of caries prevention. It is indicated for:

• hypoplasia (congenital underdevelopment of enamel);
• enamel damage (erosion, microcracks, chips);
• hyperesthesia (increased sensitivity) of teeth;
• superficial caries;
• change in enamel color;
• during the recovery period after long-term wearing of orthodontic appliances;
• as a preparatory procedure before teeth whitening;
• to stabilize the result after teeth whitening.

Mouthguards for night teeth grinding

Bruxism or nighttime teeth grinding is one of the serious diseases that affects approximately 3% of the world's population. The reasons for this have not been fully identified, but the consequences can be very serious - from abrasion of tooth enamel to deformation of the jaw joints. Wearing special mouth guards allows you to protect your teeth from premature wear, relieve muscle tension, and reduce headaches. For the effect to be effective, the mouth guards should be worn for up to 10 hours a day.

Mouthguards for the treatment of teeth grinding are distinguished by the time of their use. There are day guards that are worn during the day; they are transparent and almost invisible.

There are night guards that you wear while you sleep. They may differ in shape from daily mouth guards, but are also comfortable and imperceptible in the mouth.

Treatment of malocclusion using aligners

The installation of a mouthguard is performed only on healthy teeth, so a mandatory step in the preparation of the dentition is the treatment of caries and pulpitis, plaque removal and professional cleaning.

In trusted Moscow dental clinics, the stages of bite correction in adults and children include:

1. Initial visit to the orthodontist. The doctor will evaluate the bite and condition of the teeth and refer you for a mandatory x-ray examination. The main goal of this stage is to determine the feasibility of installing transparent aligners and the possibility of correcting the identified malocclusion pathology.
2. Taking impressions and treatment planning. The orthodontist creates a 3D computer model and designs the correction step by step. The patient sees in the program how the position of the teeth changes and the dental rows are straightened. Simultaneously calculates the number of aligners and the amount for treatment.
3. Production of caps The period depends on the manufacturers. For Italian and American aligners manufactured abroad, patients wait up to 2-4 weeks. Orthodontic devices created in Skolkovo near Moscow are ready in a few days.
4. Get to know your aligners and get a replacement schedule for your aligners. The orthodontist teaches the patient how to put on and take off the aligners, explains the care technique, and explains when it is necessary to change one product and not another.
5. Aligners straighten teeth - wearing aligners and watching how the bite straightens every week.

Retainer or mouthguard

After aligning the bite using braces or aligners, you must wear a special mouth guard or retainer that secures the result. In appearance, this tray looks like an aligner, only very, very smooth and even.

Retention aligners are made from special biopolymers; they are easy to use and almost invisible. These mouth guards are worn at night and worn for several hours during the day. The timing of wearing retainers is individual and depends on the degree of development of the malocclusion.

Wearing retaining trays after braces and aligners is mandatory, and this is the only way you can be sure that the teeth will not return to their original incorrect position.

Reviews

Ekaterina, Kursk

“I bought PEARLSMILE dental trays for remineralization of teeth for myself and for my children, fortunately they are inexpensive and are always on sale. The case contains 2 mouthguards, or rather, blanks for the upper and lower jaws. We easily “modeled” them for ourselves, and use Tooth Mousse gel to remineralize the teeth. With the help of an aligner, the gel has better contact with tooth enamel and stays on the teeth longer. We tried to wear the aligners at night; they do not interfere or cause any inconvenience. After a month of wearing the children, the primary manifestations of caries practically disappeared, and my teeth color improved, and the sensitivity of the enamel to hot, cold, and sour significantly decreased.”

K Arina, Moscow

“My dentist prescribed a course of remotherapy along with a ban on eating seeds, nuts and sour fruits. There were plenty of problems in this regard: hypersensitivity, microcracks, and yellowish spots indicating the onset of caries. I started using ROCS remineralizing gel, applying it to my teeth and gums with a brush. It was extremely uncomfortable - the saliva produced in large quantities literally “washed” the medicine out of the mouth in just a few minutes. I decided to buy a mouth guard and chose the inexpensive German Miradent Mirafluor Tray. This is a completely different matter! No drooling, the mouth guard fits like a glove. True, this product is quite thick, it distorts speech a little, so I try not to wear it during the day. After just a couple of weeks, I noticed positive changes: the sensitivity of my teeth decreased, they became a little whiter, and the caries spots almost disappeared.”

If the demineralization of teeth is pronounced, it is necessary to establish the cause of its development and correct the functioning of the relevant organs: the gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system, introduce foods high in minerals into the diet, and treat dental diseases. Otherwise, remotherapy will only provide temporary improvements and will need to be repeated several times.

Luminous decorative burls

Here manufacturers have a wide range of options, as they say - for every taste and color. And even light, which, thanks to technology, is now built into mouth guards.

Of course, in this case we are not talking about the benefits of mouth guards, but about entertainment. You can wear them to a disco or surprise others at a friendly party.

How to care for your mouthguards

Typically, mouthguards do not require special care. Modern dental mouth guards often just need to be rinsed with running water. Less often they need to be cleaned with toothpaste and a brush. When using orthodontic aligners, the doctor will definitely advise you on how to care for them.

Sports mouthguards require slightly different care and are stored in separate containers and periodically placed in a special solution to extend their life. Any sports mouthguard comes with its own instructions for use and care.

Application trays have their own service life and, as a rule, are not designed for long-term use.

It is enough to wash decorative mouth guards after use under running water, or, in extreme cases, with soap or brush them with a toothbrush.

How to purchase a mouth guard for dental protection or treatment

Standard sports mouthguards can be purchased at almost any sports store. If you are trying to find a quality product, then you should read reviews on various forums or contact a dentist to have custom mouth guards made. This is what all professional athletes do.

Mouthguards for teeth whitening and treatment of certain diseases can be purchased at the pharmacy. But before starting use, it is still better to consult an appropriate doctor to evaluate all possible treatment options and choose a safer and more effective one.

It is better to order mouth guards for teeth straightening individually from well-known and trusted manufacturers, so as not to waste money and not cause more harm to your health.

Prices

Standard (universal) and thermoplastic dental guards for reminalization can be purchased in specialized stores and pharmacies. Their prices depend on the manufacturer.

The universal aligner PearlSmile from the German company Pearl Smile GmbH costs 160-200 rubles. Thermoplastic mouth guards:

• Miradent Mirafluor Tray (manufacturer - Hager & Werken, Germany) - 120 rubles;
• PEARLSMILE (manufacturer - Pearl Smile GmbH, Germany) - 250 rubles;
• Diamondbrite (manufacturer: Huanghua Promisee Dent, China) - 650 rub.

The cost of individual mouth guards for remotherapy, made to order - from 1500 rubles.