For Our Patients

When do I need a sports mouthguard? Mouthguards are recommended for almost all contact sports - for good reason! A broken arm or sprained ankle will heal, but damaged or knocked out teeth can make for a lifetime of needing dental treatment. Depending on your level, we can make full professional mouthguards or mouthguards for more casual sports, like most school sports. Kids are always growing, and like everything else you may find that eventually as their jaws grow, they may need a new one once a year or so. What do mouthguards do? They reduce impacts on your teeth and surrounding gums and bones by spreading the load and absorbing some stress. They protect teeth from being knocked out or broken from contact sports, mountain bike handlebars, hockey sticks etc. What’s the difference...

What is tooth grinding? Many people grind their teeth. You may have noticed yourself or someone you know do this during the day or at night, especially in times of stress, anger or frustration. Modern life is full of constant stimulation and stress, and your body can pick up on this and cause your jaw muscles to be stimulated more than they should, which results in clenching (having your teeth biting down hard) or grinding (rubbing your teeth together).  Your teeth aren’t designed for this much work - and over time they can wear down, chip or break. Most of your grinding happens at night when you're asleep - so to prevent this from happening, we often make a 'nightguard' to prevent the harmful effects of grinding when sleeping. How to look after your nightguard: If you already have a...

Pregnancy is a crazy time, and there's likely plenty on your mind! It's easy to forget things like looking after your teeth and mouth, but pregnancy can both have huge effects on your gum and teeth health, and vice versa - your oral health can have effects on your pregnancy.  If you're pregnant, especially in the early stages, be sure to tell your dentist as there are some medications and procedures that should be avoided or delayed. However, most dental procedures are safe during pregnancy, and some are even recommended, both for the health of the mother and the baby.  Some of the ways that pregnancy and dental health are related: Pregnancy gingivitis - this is extremely common in pregnant women. All those hormones floating around your body make your inflammatory response quite...