Mouthguards in Farmington Hills, MI

Maintain Your Active Lifestyle

When it comes to optimal oral health, protecting your smile from injury is just as important as keeping harmful bacteria at bay. If you or your children are involved in sports, a mouthguard should be considered an essential piece of equipment, as it can prevent tooth damage and other mouth injuries. Both contact and non-contact sports can put you at risk for oral injuries, which is why our family dentist Dr. Shlafer recommends using a mouthguard to protect your smile without giving up your active lifestyle.

If you’re a Michigan resident of Canton, Plymouth, Southfield, Franklin, Beverly Hills, or the surrounding areas looking for an easy, effective way to protect your smile, the experts at Roman Shlafer, DDS are here to help. Read on to learn more about mouthguards and how you may benefit.

What is a Mouthguard?

Mouthguards are protective oral appliances used to shield your teeth, as well as your surrounding gums and soft tissues, from injury and damage. Not to be confused with the oral appliances used to treat sleep apnea symptoms, these devices are designed to be worn during sports to protect your mouth. Mouthguards can also be worn at night to protect your teeth from the negative effects of teeth grinding (bruxism). If you suffer from bruxism, our expert dentist may prescribe a night guard to protect you from developing issues with your jaw.

Types of Mouthguards

In addition to customized mouthguards, there are also stock mouthguards and boil and bite mouthguards.

• Stock mouthguards are carried in retail stores. While they’re cheap, these devices are one-size-fits-all, which does not allow full protection. In addition, some patients might find them uncomfortable.
• Boil and bite mouthguards are made of special plastic that, once boiled, becomes moldable. You then need to bite into it, and the plastic forms around your bite. While some may find these to be better than stock mouthguards, the risk of user error could mean a wasted mold— or worse, an ill-fitting appliance.

As a safer and more effective alternative, Dr. Shlafer recommends customized high-quality mouthguards that offer the best fit and the highest level of protection.