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What is a Dental Appliance?
Maintaining good oral health goes beyond just practicing good oral hygiene. For those who play sports, clench or grind their teeth, snore or have sleep apnea, dental appliances can help protect their oral structures, and their overall health.
Dental appliances offered at Cornerstone Dental Group and Civic Dental – such as mouth guards and sleep apnea devices – can be used to help improve and protect the health of your oral cavity.
Snoring & Sleep Apnea Appliances
Sleep disorders can disrupt your sleep and negatively impact your overall health and well-being.
For patients who snore, their relaxed throat tissues cause the airway to restrict, creating the sound of snoring as oxygen is forced past. For patients with sleep apnea, their throat tissues over-relax and obstruct the airway, forcing the brain to wake them up to breathe.
At Cornerstone Dental Group and Civic Dental, we provide custom-fitted oral appliances to move the lower jaw and tongue muscles to open the airway. This helps improve your flow of breath and prevents you from waking up throughout the night.
Signs of Sleep Apnea
You may have sleep apnea if you experience any of the following:
- Moments where you stop breathing while sleeping (someone else usually notices this)
- Gasping for air while sleeping
- Frequent headaches
- Having a dry mouth when you wake
- Insomnia (difficulty staying asleep)
- Hypersomnia (excessive daytime exhaustion)
Custom-Fitted Mouth Guards
We offer custom-made mouth guards that fit over your teeth to protect them from damage.
Sports Guards
We are passionate believers in the value of sports to provide hours of fun and physical activity. We want you to enjoy your time on the court, field or rink, without worrying about damaging your teeth if your mouth comes into contact with another person or object.
A sports guard can help to protect your smile from impact by providing a cushioning barrier between your teeth and the soft tissue of your mouth. If you play contact sports, protect your mouth - wear a custom-fitted sports guard.
Night Guards
If you frequently grind your teeth during sleep, a well-fitting night guard (also referred to as a brux guard or grinding appliance) can help protect your teeth from damage. If you tend to clench your jaw while sleeping, a mouth guard will also help to prevent jaw damage and pain caused by clenching.
Depending on your diagnosis and symptoms, you may wear your guard regularly at night, nightly during periods of stress, or during the day when you are feeling stressed.
Your dentist can fit you with a custom-made night guard. During a dental appointment, your dentist can take a digital scan of your teeth to ensure a snug fit - as well as a tranquil night's rest.