Do You Play Casual Or Professional Sport?
No matter the level you play, wearing a dental mouth guard while participating in contact sports is an essential safety measure in reducing the risk of dental injuries.
The Australian Dental Association recommends wearing professionally made custom mouth guards rather than over-the-counter mouth guards due to their ability to offer maximum shock absorption and resistance against dislodgement.
A custom dental mouth guard can protect your teeth and jaw by spreading the impact from contact and reducing the risk of damage to your teeth. They are designed and constructed from an impression of your own teeth and jaw so it’s tailored-made to your individual specifications.
What Makes Custom Mouth Guards Superior?
Comfortable and tight-fitting.
Allows for normal breathing and swallowing.
Allows for normal speech.
Doesn’t cause gagging.
Odourless and tasteless.
Provides more even protection against impact.
Call our dentist in Perth or book an appointment for a custom dental mouth guard to protect your teeth.
What Are the Three Types of Mouth Guards?
Generic Stock Mouth Guards:
These are the cheapest mouth guards available and are preformed to loosely fit over the teeth of most people. While their cheap price might seem appealing for the casual player, these offer the least amount of protection and their one-size-fits-all design means that it can fit poorly and be uncomfortable.
Since each tooth is not seated properly in the guard and sits within a channel, an impact has the possibility to cause damage to multiple teeth.
Boil and Bite Mouth Guards:
Made from deformable medical grade plastic or silicone, a boil-and-bite mouth guard is made malleable by soaking it in boiling water. The mouth guard, now softened, is placed within the user's mouth for them to create a mould of the teeth and mouth.
While these types of mouth guards are relatively cheap upfront, they will most likely have to be replaced every season. They are also usually not close enough to conform to the user’s bite and can be uncomfortable to wear due to their thicker sidewalls.
Custom Dental Mouth Guards:
Custom dental mouth guards, as the name suggests, are mouth guards made by a dentist or dentist technician to perfectly fit a person’s mouth. Due to their close fit, they provide the best protection, comfort and shock absorption.
While these are the expensive option, an injury to the teeth or jaw will be a lot more expensive. Cambridge City Dental recommend custom mouth guards to anyone participating in sport, regardless of skill level, as they can be fitted to your liking, and most importantly, provides your teeth and jaw optimal protection.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Does a Mouth Guard Work?
Mouth guards utilise force dissipation to reduce the impact of a collision. It does this by:
Its elastic nature absorbs some of the force.
The force is distributed evenly across all teeth so no single tooth absorbs the entire impact.
The force is also distributed evenly throughout the entire jaw so no single area of the jaw absorbs the entire impact.
What Can a Mouth Guard Help Prevent?
Mouth guards act as a buffer for high-impact collisions as the spongy material helps absorb the shock and lessen the force applied to the jaw. When there is a direct impact to the face, the force exerted can travel through your teeth, jaw and even the upper part of your skull. These collisions without a mouth guard can cause tooth and jaw fractures, and even concussions. For example, if you were to receive a heavy blow which caused your jaw to slam together, a mouth guard would act as a barrier preventing damage to both the top and bottom rows of your teeth.
What is a Mouth Guard?
A mouth guard is a plastic cover that fits over and protects your teeth from collision or impact. They are most often utilised in sports that involve a high risk of impact to the face, but can also be used to help treat bruxism and sleep apnea.
What Are the Risk Factors When Playing Sport?
When you play a high-impact sport without a mouth guard you run the risk of chipping, breaking or losing teeth, soft tissue injuries of the mouth, and jaw fractures. According to the Australian Dental Association (ADA), 40% of traumatic injuries to teeth are sports-related, yet only a third of Australian wear a mouth guard when playing contact sport.
How Do You Care For a Mouth Guard?
After using your mouth guard, rinse it in warm water and soap, then allow it to dry. Occasionally use a mouthwash to disinfect it. When not in use, your mouth guard should be stored in a cool place and kept in a plastic container with vents to allow air to circulate. Most importantly, don’t leave it in the car – the heat can destroy the shape of your mouth guard and render it useless.
Call our dentist in Perth or book an appointment for a custom dental mouth guard to protect your teeth.
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