Why Mouthguards Are Important When Playing Sport
Many patients ask why are mouthguards so important?
Every year at the practice I take many calls relating to sporting injuries. Some of the injuries I have witnessed have been moderate to severe. These injuries could have been lessened or avoided if a custom made & fitted mouthguard was worn.
A custom fitted mouthguard not only protects the teeth from a sporting accident but also helps to absorb & spread the impact from a blow to the face or mouth.
During my 8 years working in dental, I have seen many injuries sustained by mouthguards not being worn. Some of these injuries include teeth which have been cleanly knocked out, chipped & broken teeth, fractures or breaks to the jaw & lacerations to the lip, gum or soft tissue. These however only name a few.
In today's market there are two types of mouthguards available however only one our practice recommends being a custom made & fitted mouthguard. This type of mouthguard will require an appointment with a dentist as plaster dental impressions are required. A custom made mouthguard is far superior than an over the counter mouthguard as it offers a higher level of protection and a far superior fit due to the mouthguard being fabricated from an exact model of your teeth. A custom fitted mouthguard takes 3-7 days to be made.
The second type of mouthguard available is an over the counter mouthguard also known as a boil & bite mouthguard. These are stock mouthguards that do not require fitting by a dentist. This type of mouthguard is placed in hot water and is then self-fitted by biting into it. While a boil and bite mouthguard may be less expensive it is less expensive for a reason. Do not be fooled into thinking it offers you the same level of protection as a custom fitted mouthguard as it does not. A boil and bite mouthguard has a habit of dislodging which is something I would think most of you would want to avoid during a sporting match.
In conclusion, it definitely pays to invest in a custom fitted mouthguard as the cost of an injury to the teeth or jaw far exceeds the cost of the mouthguard.