Mouthguard Usage

Now that the weather’s hot, Tinley Park residents are having more fun outdoors. But while cycling, skating, or playing sports, it’s important to keep your teeth safe. We know how much effort our patients at Bayberry Dental Care put into maintaining their smiles, which is why we want them to use mouthguards.

When properly fitted, a mouthguard shouldn’t cause difficulty breathing. Sports stores and online retailers offer one-size fits all mouthguards, and these are better than using nothing. However, a more popular option are mouthguards that are softened by boiling and then bitten down on (after cooling somewhat) to perfectly fit the wearer’s teeth. This option is especially appealing to children and people undergoing orthodontic therapy, whose teeth radically shift position in a short amount of time. Boil-and-bite models may be reshaped every month.

Formal sports organizations commonly require participants to wear recently fitted mouthguards. Our office can help you decide whether your current one is providing sufficient protection and is clean enough. Mouthguards need to be cleaned with antibacterial soap after each use and patted dry, as do their containers. They also need to be kept out of extreme heat to avoid accidental warping.

Kathleen M. Falsey, D.D.S., operates Bayberry Dental Care at 8014 West 171^st St, Tinley Park, Illinois, 60477. To schedule an appointment, call 708-802-8300 or visit Bayberry Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Cracked Teeth

Breaking a tooth is painful and scary, but at Bayberry Dental Care in Tinley Park, help is available. We encourage our patients to wear mouthguards whenever they do something dangerous and to avoid habits such as chewing on ice that could cause a tooth to crack. But accidents do happen, and we hope our patients will remember our advice when they need it.

Teeth are subjected to tremendous force when we bite down. Our molars have wide surfaces to distribute the force and strong ligaments anchoring them, but they can split and their cusps can break off. Smaller teeth are much more vulnerable to breaking or tilting when used for chewing, and they can break from the force of nighttime teeth grinding. If a patient does break a tooth, they should rinse their mouth with salt water and cover the broken section with orthodontic wax or sugar-free gum. (If they have face lacerations, they should go to the emergency room before seeing a dentist.)

If a tooth is only slightly chipped or cracked, we may be able to repair it with bonding. But if a fissure goes deep, we will want to do a root canal procedure to prevent the pulp from becoming infected. When a molar splits, we may want to drill away a bit more material to make room for a partial crown. Full crowns may be necessary for teeth that are severely chipped or cracked, and if a tooth root is cracked, the tooth may need to be replaced. However, we try to save teeth as often as possible, and long-term restorations can be planned after a patient’s immediate needs are cared for.

Kathleen M. Falsey, D.D.S., operates Bayberry Dental Care at 8014 West 171^st St, Tinley Park, Illinois, 60477. To schedule an appointment, call 708-802-8300 or visit Bayberry Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.