Protecting your Athlete with a Mouthguard

Athletes in both contact and non-contact sports – organized or recreational – need to be on guard against oral injuries. There are Many Benefits of Wearing a Mouthguard. You wouldn’t step up to the plate without a bat or step onto the court without wearing shoes, so why would you ever consider suiting up to play without wearing a mouthguard to help protect your oral health. Hear are some of the advantages of wearing a mouthguard during sports:

• Mouthguards cushion a blow to the face, helping to reduce the risk of knocked out or broken teeth
• Mouth guards protect the lips, tongue, and inner lining of the cheeks
• If you or your child wears braces, mouthguards help prevent damage to brackets and also serve as a barrier between braces and the cheeks or lips, reducing the risk of gum injuries
• Repairing dental injuries can be expensive, while the cost of a mouthguard is minimal in comparison

Not All Mouthguards Are The Same: Store bought vs. Custom-Made

The most common types of mouthguards athletes are boil and bite or custom made. To help you make an informed decision on which type of mouthguard best suits you or your childs needs, lets break down the pros and cons of each type.

Boil and Bite Mouthguard

Store bought boil and bite mouth guards offer better protection and an improved fit than using nothing at all. As the name suggests, this type of mouthguard needs to be heated in hot water until the plastic becomes soft. You than wait for it cool down, than bite down into the guard, which will cause the plastic to make a rough mold of your teeth.

Pros:

Can be purchased immediately at a sporting goods stores and drugstores and are moderately inexpensive

Cons:

• If you don’t follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully it may result in uneven distribution of material and not fit in your mouth comfortably
• Instability due to uneven distribution of material
• Provide minimal protection
• Bite-through is common
• Structural integrity decreases with time

Custom-made Mouthguards

A custom-made mouthguard, like the ones we can create for you or your child at Dental on Central, offer the greatest level of protection.

Pros:

• Our dentist professionally design the mouthguard to fit the specific contours of an individual’s mouth and jaw
• There is even distribution of material which provides comfort and stability
• Constructed from the high grade materials
• Increased ease of breathing and speaking when the mouth guard is in place
• Bite-through is not common
• Maintain structural integrity longer over time
• Provide the highest level of protection

Cons:

Not available immediately and the cost is higher than other types

As you can see the pros of a custom-made mouthguard greatly surpass those of a store purchased mouthguard. Our dentist and staff believe that preventive care is more cost-effective than restorative care. A custom-made mouthguard is a worthwhile investment. Contact Dental on Central today to schedule an appointment.