At Cleary Dental, our dentists always recommend wearing a custom-made mouthguard while playing contact sports. Mouthguards should be worn over your teeth to protect them and serve as removable guards. A covering can protect your teeth, gums, and cheeks from injury. Trauma to your teeth can happen by accident or because of a sports-related injury. Trauma to your teeth by sports can be reduced or even prevented by wearing a mouthguard.
ATHLETES SHOULD WEAR MOUTHGUARDS
If you play a contact sport like wrestling, football, or basketball our dentist will recommend wearing a mouthguard. Contact sports include hands-on interactions between players during competition or practice like bumping into each other, defending each other, or tackling each other. If you play a contact sport, you will benefit from wearing a protective mouthguard since you have a higher risk of injury to your mouth.
GETTING A MOUTHGUARD
Only dental professionals can provide custom-fitted mouthguards. Custom-fitted mouthguards are the recommended best option.
There are also two types of mouthguards available for you to buy at a drugstore or sporting store. Stock mouthguards are ready for you to wear when you purchase them. For this reason, dentists do not recommend stock mouthguards. They are not recommended because they can make talking and breathing difficult. They can also be bulky and loose-fitting, therefore they will provide very little protection.
Boil and bite mouthguards are made of thermoplastic material which can be manipulated with heat. After you purchase a boil and bite mouthguard, place it in boiling water to soften the material. Place the guard in your mouth and bite down, then the pressure will transform the guard to fit your bite a bit better. Boil and bite guards are more custom than stock guards, but they are still not recommended.
CUSTOM-MADE MOUTHGUARDS ARE THE BEST OPTION
A custom-made athletic mouthguard is the best option to protect your teeth. Athletic mouthguards are normally sculpted from laminated thermoplastic, polyurethane, or acrylic. Generally, your mouthguard will only cover your upper teeth, but if you wear braces you might need coverage for your bottom teeth as well. A good mouthguard should be durable, easy to clean, and should not cause issues with your breathing or speech.
TAKING CARE OF YOUR MOUTHGUARD
Every time you use your mouthguard, rinse it with cold water and wash it using a toothbrush and soap. Do this before and after using your mouthguard. When you store your mouthguard, keep it in a hard, perforated case. This type of case will permit airflow and keep bacteria from growing on your mouthguard. Protect your mouthguard from high temperatures in order to keep it from distorting. Keep your mouthguard away from direct sunlight, hot water, and hot surfaces. If your mouthguard becomes distorted or torn, replace it because it will not be able to protect you.
CONTACT US TODAY!
The best option to protect your teeth during sports is by getting a custom-fitted mouthguard at Cleary Dental. Please let us be your trusted dental provider. Call us now to get your custom mouthguard at (856) 428-3050.