Protect Your Smile During Sports Using Mouth Guards

Do you participate in contact sports? Are you athletic? Do you work out regularly or play on a team? Do you practice high-impact exercise programs like CrossFit?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, Prevent Dental Suite has one more important question.

Do you wear a mouth guard when you exercise or play?

If you don’t, take a quick look at your smile in the mirror and imagine it with teeth missing. If you don’t use a custom-fitted mouth guard, you might end up with missing teeth or worse.

Australian Dental Association SA Branch Dr Angelo Papageorgiou says, “It is important parents are aware that a properly fitted, custom-fitted mouthguard is an essential piece of their kids’ sporting equipment.”

To ensure that mouth guards are used, Sports Medicine Australia (SMA) and the Australian Dental Association (ADA) have collaborated on a Mouth Guard Policy that makes mouth guards mandatory for registered players during training and games for sports including football, basketball, hockey, boxing, wrestling, martial arts, lacrosse, and netball.

At Prevent Dental Suite we strongly agree that mouth guards are an indispensable piece of athletic kit for athletes of all ages.

Why use a mouth guard?

A better question is why you wouldn’t use a mouth guard? Dental injuries that can occur without the use of a mouth guard are chipped or broken teeth, fractured crowns or bridgework, lip and cheek injuries, root damage to the teeth, concussions, and fractured jaws. Any athlete at risk for oral injury and many injuries can be prevented with the use of a mouth guard.

Here is what mouth guards can do:

Mouth guards prevent bruising and cuts from impact.
Mouth guards prevent tooth fractures or dislocations by cushioning the teeth.
Opposing teeth are protected from contact with each other.
The lower jaw is protected, so impact does not fracture or damage the bone.
Mouth guards help reduce injury to the brain. Without a mouth guard, an impact hitting the mouth can cause the jaws to violently jar together which can result in a concussion.
Mouth guards can be a preventative measure against neck injuries.
Mouth guards help athletes feel more at ease and protected.

Types of mouth guards

Over-the-counter mouth guards are smooth, pre-formed, u-shaped trays that cover the entire top row of teeth. They can be blocky, uncomfortable, and are ineffective protection. In fact in some cases they actually cause damage. Finally, their fit is often not good. These are available over the counter.

A common over-the-counter mouth guard is the “boil and bite”. You boil the mouth guard as specified by the instructions and the plastic becomes soft and pliable. Once the mouth guard is heated, you carefully place it in your mouth a bite down gently, applying light pressure to help it conform to your teeth. In some cases, additional trimming or adjustment will be necessary.

Custom fitted mouth guards are the superior option. Here are just some of the reasons you (or your child) should wear a customised mouth guard in athletic pursuits.

They buffer damage to teeth, brackets and/or other fixed appliances from blows and physical contact
Limit the risk of soft tissue damage
Allow speaking
Provide a high degree of comfort and fit
Are durable tear-resistant, odourless, tasteless, and easy to clean
Custom mouthguards are designed to match the exact makeup of each player’s individual mouth
Custom mouth guards outlast boil-and-bite guards 5-to-1
Custom mouth guards allow optimal oxygen flow to enhance performance, endurance, and communication
Players with orthodontics get the protection and comfort they need with custom fit mouthguards

If you or your child are sporty, you need a custom-designed mouthguard to protect your teeth!

Come to Prevent Dental Suite for your mouth guard

At Prevent Dental Suite dental our custom-made athletic mouth guards provide maximum protection with a perfectly fitting mouth guard that will last (If you have a child, you’ll likely need to get a new mouth guard each year; those jaws grow!). And a custom-fitted mouth guard is a bargain. The total cost to replace a knocked-out tooth can be 20-40 times more expensive than the price of a custom-made mouth guard.

Check out Prevent Dental Suite’s quick video clip on keeping your teeth protected during sports.

If you are interested in mouth guards to protect against teeth grinding/bruxism have a look here.

High-quality Dental Care at Prevent Dental Suite

Prevent Dental Suites is comprised of dedicated dental professionals who provide gentle and patient-oriented care to offer the best-quality dental service from the moment patients enter into our office. Dr Shilpa Gupta is the resident dentist at our Kallangur dental practice and combines many years’ experience with personable service. To learn more about our fantastic team, go to our team page.