Mouth guards are used for various purposes. They can safeguard your teeth from traumatic injuries or can help you counter involuntarily unhealthy practices. Both are apt solutions for treating teeth grinding, a common night time habit.
Teeth grinding, often neglected, has a considerable effect on your teeth, detrimentally. This habit can wear down the structure of your teeth over time and can have adverse effects on your jaw, leading to pain, dysfunction, and headaches.
But when talking about types of mouthguards, people find it confusing which to select. Which one is best? Let’s find out.
Custom vs OTC Night Guards
Ambiguity is a common factor that leaves people feeling unsure about choosing the right guard. To make this process easier for you, here is a comparison of the main aspects of both custom and over-the-counter (OTC) night guards:
Definition
- Custom: Providing exact fit and addressing your unique needs are custom-made by your dentist. They are made by taking impressions of your teeth’ size, structure, shape, and overall structure. For a custom night guard in Calgary, you can visit a dentist and get their advice.
- Over-the-counter: Typically comes in one size fits all and serves the same purpose as a custom night guard. However, the catch is they are pre-made and mass-produced without impressions. You find OTC night guards online or purchase them from a nearby drug store.
Materials Used
- Custom: Materials are usually selected on your preference. To help you understand through example; You can choose between hard acrylic or soft laminate which are highly durable and high-quality materials.
- Over-the-counter: The materials are not very durable and may degrade over time due to their lower quality.
Fit and Comfort
- Custom: Enhancing your comfort due to being comfortable they fit perfectly and reduce the risk of irritation. On top of that, the snug fit allows you to breathe easily during sleep.
- Over-the-counter: Bulkier build and one-size-fits-all all decrease the comfort level. Also as they are less precise compared to custom-made, they can cause difficulty in breathing during sleep.
Effectiveness
- Custom: The perfect fit and comfort level is highly effective in eliminating the possibility of teeth grinding. The custom fit perfectly aligns with your bite and allows you to avoid the jaw pain associated with bruxism.
- Over-the-counter: Due to lower-quality material and inappropriate fit does not provide the same level of comprehensive care compared to custom night guards. If you have jaw-related issues and severe bruxism avoid using OTC night guards.
Things to Consider When Choosing
Before you jump to any conclusion it is better to state a few factors that you need to consider. This will help you decide which is the best night guard for teeth grinding.
- Effectiveness: Consider which one is more effective in terms of countering teeth-grinding issues.
- Durability: Influences your decision to change the guard periodically.
- Initial Cost and Long-Term Value: Consider your budget and affordability as a potentially poor initial investment can also lead to dental complexity later on in the stage.
- Professional Oversight: Eliminates the possibility of a dental problem developing into a severe one.
- Material Quality: Potential allergic reaction, durability, comfort factor, and sometimes aesthetics consideration.
Learn More at Inglewood Family Dental
Both customized and over-the-counter night guards protect teeth from grinding, however dentists frequently recommend the former due to the high-quality material used and its tailored fit.
The right dental guard is determined by your budget and your unique dental needs, which includes the severity of your grinding. Consult one of our Calgary dentists for advice on which style will provide maximum protection and comfort. We look forward to helping you preserve your beautiful smile!
