Protecting teeth from damage with mouthguards

Gumshield or mouthguard? The terms are interchangeable and mouthguard is perhaps the better description for the appliances dental care professionals (DCPs) produce to protect patients’ teeth against damage, whether from trauma, such as that caused by injuries sustained when playing sport, or more insidious causes such as bruxism.

While there is no clear, widely accepted definition of bruxism, Lobbezoo et al (2013) suggest the following:

‘Bruxism is a repetitive jaw-muscle activity characterized by clenching or grinding of the teeth and/or by bracing or thrusting of the mandible. Bruxism has two distinct circadian manifestations: it can occur during sleep (indicated as sleep bruxism) or during wakefulness (indicated as awake bruxism).’