Mouth Guards and More

Habit Appliance

Sucking is a natural reflex and provides a sense of security for many children. However, school aged children that suck their thumb or finger may find that their habit causes social distress. School aged children that want to stop their sucking habit may find a thumb appliance to be helpful. Thumb appliance therapy requires one appointment to take the impression and one appointment to actually place the appliance in the mouth.

Mouth Guard

When a child begins to participate in recreational activities and organized sports, traumatic injuries to the teeth may occur. A properly fitted mouth guard is an important part of athletic gear. The mouth guard can act as a cushion to protect the teeth from injury. If your child is young and losing teeth, his/her mouth will be continually changing and mouth guards may need to be changed more often. Therefore, you may purchase an over the counter mouth guard from stores such as Wal-Mart or Target. Once your child has a full permanent dentition, you may choose to have a mouth guard professionally made in our office.

Night Guard

Parents are often concerned about a child who grinds their teeth during sleep. This type of grinding is referred to as bruxism. The majority of cases of pediatric bruxism do not need to be treated dentally. However, if excessive wearing of the teeth is present, then a mouth guard may be indicated. Dr. Judd will be happy to discuss your concerns regarding bruxism.