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Can You Sleep With a Sports Mouthguard? The Danger you need to know

Can You Sleep With a Sports Mouthguard

The last thing you want to do before going to bed is put on your sports mouthguard. You can wear a sports mouthguard for an hour or two, but not 8 hours at night!

Why? A mouthguard can trap bacteria against the surface of your gums while you sleep and when you wake up in the morning all of that bacteria can cause swelling, pain, infection, and other oral health issues.

If this sounds like something that might happen to you then make sure that your dentist gives you a regular night guard instead.

Can You Sleep With a Sports Mouthguard?

No. This is a very bad idea. A sports mouthguard can trap bacteria against the surface of your gums while you sleep.

Sports mouthguards serve a different purpose compared to nightguards, so they can’t be worn overnight.

What is a sports mouthguard?

A sports mouthguard can be used for a game or practice, but not while you sleep.

Sports mouthguards will protect your jaw from injury, can help prevent broken teeth, and can offer protection from concussions.

They are usually used in high-impact combat sports like boxing, MMA, rugby, and football.

Try a nightguard instead for your sleep needs!

Mouthguards are designed to protect your teeth and gums from injury. In addition, mouthguards can help prevent concussions by absorbing the force of a blow to the head.

Mouthguards can also be used to protect your jaws from injury, too! They can prevent broken teeth and can offer protection for jaw fractures, which is a common sporting injury in contact sports like boxing or MMA.

If you are interested in reading more about athletic mouthguards you can check out our blog.

What is a nightguard

Nightguards can help maintain an optimal level of dental health and they will lessen the impact on your teeth when you grind them at night! The important thing is that if it’s too hard for you to bite down on something then there’s a good chance that it’s too hard for you to sleep on, so a nightguard can help reduce the friction and pressure that can lead to tooth damage.

Nightguards are usually made from rubber or plastic and they provide protection while you’re asleep by absorbing much of the force coming toward your teeth during grinding or clenching – two common habits people have when they’re sleeping. They can be made from hard or soft materials, and they can come in a variety of styles to fit your teeth perfectly!

Nightguards are fabricated using less thick but strong material and are made to protect the wearer’s teeth enamel.

Choosing the Right Mouthguard

There are 2 types of sports mouthguards that you can buy. One is the type for use in playing sports, which is a different kind from the dental-approved models made to wear while sleeping.

A sports mouth guard is not the best option for stopping bruxism as they are only effective during short periods of time and provide a different level of protection than an orthodontic nightguard.

It is not safe to wear a sports guard instead of a mouth guard that your dentist prescribes. It will not protect your teeth from grinding and it is not as good. The best solution for teeth grinding is a custom dental night guard made by your dentist.

Conclusion

It’s important to think about oral health and how it impacts your overall well-being. For one, there are obvious reasons like bad breath or a toothache! But there is also research that suggests gum disease can lead to heart problems.

And if you wear braces, mouthguards may not be appropriate because they could damage them (or at least reduce their effectiveness). 

It is important to remember to not use your sports mouthguard at night. The sports guard will do more harm than good. Instead, you can get a nightguard that was created especially for this purpose.