Retainers, Nightguards & Bleach Trays | Dentists University Place

Retainers

Braces create a beautiful smile, but the retainer maintains it while encouraging better oral hygiene long after its use goes away. Although retainers for teeth are most commonly used to hold straight teeth in place after braces, the advantages for your kids in wearing their retainers correctly go beyond that. The hardest part of having a new retainer is losing it, commonly to the trash can in the school cafeteria. Getting kids into the habit of wearing their retainer correctly and keeping it safe isn't easy, but knowing its advantages and how to make sure your kids embrace their retainers will help your whole family navigate the process with less stress – and higher marks from your dentist.

Retainers for teeth are mostly used as the last phase of orthodontics treatment. After the braces have been removed, teeth can shift back to their original position. So, retainers worn overnight (if not longer) can help maintain the position of straightened teeth.

Mouthguards

Mouthguards, also called mouth protectors, help cushion a blow to the face, minimizing the risk of broken teeth and injuries to your lips, tongue, face or jaw. They typically cover the upper teeth and are a great way to protect the soft tissues of your tongue, lips and cheek lining. Knowing how to prevent injuries like these is especially important if you participate in organized sports or other recreational activities.

When it comes to protecting your mouth, a mouthguard is an essential piece of athletic gear that should be part of your standard equipment from an early age. In fact, studies show that athletes are 60 times more likely to suffer harm to the teeth if they’re not wearing a mouthguard. While collision and contact sports, such as boxing, are higher-risk sports for the mouth, you can experience a dental injury in non-contact activities too, such as gymnastics and skating.

The best mouthguard is one that has been custom made for your mouth by your dentist. However, if you can’t afford a custom-fitted mouthguard, you should still wear a stock mouthguard or a boil-and-bite mouthguard from the drugstore. If you wear braces or another fixed dental appliance on your lower jaw, your dentist may suggest a mouth protector for these teeth as well.

A properly fitted mouthguard may be especially important for people who wear braces or have fixed bridge work. A blow to the face could damage the brackets or other fixed orthodontic appliances. A mouthguard also provides a barrier between the braces and your cheek or lips, limiting the risk of soft tissue injuries.

Nightguards

A hard/soft nightguard is a cost effective way to prevent damage to your teeth and existing dental work. With our own In-House Lab tech, we will fabricate a custom made nightguard that will not hold you in a clenched state like all the over the counter appliances will. The hard part of the nghtguard will also not trigger a reflexive response of your muscles to clench tighter Soft squishy nightguards you form via the “boil and bite” technique will trigger you to clench more generating forces that will not only damage your teeth, but cause a lot of muscle pain and tension.

Bleach Trays

At Light Dental Studios of University Place, our dentist in University Place offers our own proprietary brand take home whitening kit made with pharmaceutical grade bleach that is made right here in the USA. Ask how to get free refills on your bleach by joining our free Whitening for Life program.

If you would rather have custom made bleach trays, but would still like to use our pharmaceutical grade bleach, we can make the trays for you in-house for a nominal fee. You can still even be on our White for Life Program.

If you are looking for either dental retainers, mouthguards, or bleach trays, Please contact our University Place dental office today!