Mouth Guards

Athletic guards from Crown Dental are made at a dental laboratory to fit your particularized needs so that they are comfortable and easy to wear. For athletes, these mouth guards provide a solid defense against mouth and teeth injuries while also minimizing stress. Additionally, there is evidence that wearing a mouth guard while playing sports can reduce the production of hormones that reduce strength, reaction time, and endurance. 

Over 10 – 15% of adults suffer from teeth grinding, or bruxism, while they sleep, causing health issues like jaw pain, headaches, tooth pain, swelling, and more. Eventually, teeth grinding can lead to expensive and extensive dental problems as the teeth are worn down and damaged.

At Crown Dental in West Richland, WA, our dentists offer quality, customized night guards to keep you from grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw in your sleep. These night guards are designed from impressions taken at an appointment with Dr. Wally Cantu and his staff so that they fit your teeth and mouth to help protect your teeth and make your sleep more comfortable.

It is common for many people to suffer from discomforting pain in the face and jaw, especially in the morning after waking up. We want to help you find the source of this pain. Known as TMJ,  this condition is a painful disorder of the jaw joint (temporomandibular joint) and can be caused for a number of reasons. Dr. Cantu will examine your jaw and bite for this disorder and ask you specific questions regarding certain habits or conditions that may contribute, such as teeth grinding or misalignment.

You may have recurrent facial pain, swelling in the jawline, lockjaw, loss of the ability to open your mouth wide, inability to stop clenching or grinding your teeth (asleep or awake), and much more. Using innovative digital imaging technology, Dr. Cantu can help determine your condition and the appropriate way to treat it.

The most common way to treat TMJ initially is with a night guard, which can be custom fitted at our dental practice. It is best to avoid chewy foods and eat a softer diet until the pain decreases and is under control.  

You may want to rest your jaw more often, and be consistent in wearing the oral appliance that protects your bite from resting at an uncomfortable angle. Keeping your posture in check can also help. Follow all the recommendations for your treatment and pain management without the use of medication or muscle relaxers, if they are not needed. 

When a person lays down at night, the throat may become constricted and limit the airway, which causes snoring and sleep apnea. Oral appliance therapy (O.A.T.) helps treat sleep apnea and snoring with custom mouth guards. Dr. Wally Cantu and our Crown Dental team in West Richland, WA work with numerous patients who are tired of losing precious sleep, while experiencing a number of other symptoms due to sleep apnea. While some patients may require a more in-depth treatment approach, many times a snore guard is all that is needed. Also known as a night guard, this device, which is custom fit inside our dental office, keeps the jaw in an optimal position to allow enough oxygen to reach the body during sleep. If not treated, sleep apnea can lead to many larger problems, including:

• Fatigue
• Snoring
• High blood pressure
• Heart conditions
• Weight gain

Dr. Cantu will most likely recommend patients partake in a sleep study to confirm their sleep apnea and go over possible treatments.