Night Guards and Sports Mouthguards
Although night guards and sports mouthguards serve different purposes, they both keep your teeth protected in similar ways.
During strenuous exercise and physical activity, people naturally tighten their jaw muscles and clench their teeth together. Likewise, some people unconsciously clench their jaws and grind their teeth (bruxism) while they are asleep.
In both scenarios, the teeth and jaws are being overexerted and misused, which can eventually result in damage. The muscles can become sore and affect how you eat and speak, and the teeth can chip, wear down, and crack.
Wearing mouthguards and nightguards can be a great preventive measure against the situations described above.
Night Guards vs. Sports Mouthguards
Although night guards and sports mouthguards have similar functions, they are not the same and are not interchangeable. Where mouthguards for sports use are rubbery and soft, night guards for sleep are constructed of hard and durable plastic.
Sports mouthguards, however, can be softer because they are for absorbing hard impacts. In the event of a collision, your mouth will not take the full force of the hit, protecting your teeth, jaws, and head thereby assisting in minimizing concussions.
