Mouth guards can make all the difference!

Contrary to what you might think, mouth guards aren’t just for pro athletes. They’re essential to protecting anyone’s teeth, including your own, across a wide range of sports and physical activities, both competitive and recreational. 

Ensuring that you and your family have the proper protection helps avoid serious dental injuries. With that in mind, here’s what you should know about mouth guards and how they can effectively protect your teeth.

The Risk of Dental Injuries in Sports

Dental injuries are a very serious issue for both children and adults. Whether they affect baby or adult teeth, they can have a lasting impact on one’s oral health. As such, you should not overlook the risk of dental injury during athletic activity, even those outside of contact sports.

Some of the most common dental injuries include cracked and chipped teeth, which can happen much more easily than you might think. Injuries are particularly common when the upper and lower teeth slam together from a sudden impact. Knocked-out teeth are a similar major concern. A hard hit or fall of any kind could potentially cause someone to lose a tooth. And though there is a good chance that a tooth can be restored, it’s best to focus on protection and prevention instead.

Of course, contact sports such as football, hockey, rugby, and lacrosse pose a particularly serious risk of dental injury if protection isn’t used. Sports with incidental contact, such as basketball and soccer, also carry some risk. Ultimately, any type of physical activity that risks a collision or fall should be considered a potential cause of dental injuries.

Benefits of Using Mouth Guards

Mouth guards provide a variety of benefits when it comes to safeguarding your smile. They prevent your upper and lower teeth from slamming together, avoiding chips and cracks, and they also provide general cushioning to soften any blows to the jaw. This protects both the jaw and the rest of your head by evenly distributing forces, reducing the risk of jaw injury and concussion. As such, using a mouth guard leaves you much less likely to suffer a dental injury, helping you avoid the potential pain and expensive dental treatments to resolve the issue.

While there are many treatment options available, dental injuries can be severe enough to cause permanent tooth loss. Even if the damaged tooth is salvageable, dental crowns or other restorative dentistry treatments aren’t ideal. It’s always better to maintain your teeth in their natural state, which is what a mouth guard does best.

Types of Mouth Guards

There are a few different types of mouth guards you can use, but they aren’t all equal.

• Stock mouth guards are generic, off-the-shelf solutions that don’t provide a custom fit for your smile. While they’re better than nothing, they provide less-than-perfect protection and can lead to discomfort. Cost and convenience are the only upsides here.
• Boil-and-bite mouth guards are also off-the-shelf solutions, but they take a step in the right direction. As the name implies, you’ll need to boil the mouth guard to make it malleable, then bite into it to properly shape it to your teeth. The problem with them, however, is that they are often made of low-quality materials and usually still fail to provide a perfect fit.
• A custom mouth guard from your family dentist is the best way to go. Your dentist will take impressions of your smile and use them to create a perfectly fitting mouth guard. You’ll enjoy greater comfort and protection with a custom mouth guard made from high-quality materials. Though the upfront cost is higher, it can’t be beaten in terms of results.

Proper Care and Maintenance of Mouth Guards

Taking proper care of your mouth guard is essential to ensure its lasting protection. First, be sure to clean it after each use. Ideally, you should rinse it right after you take it out and scrub it gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove bacteria. Only use cold water, as hot water can warp the mouth guard.

Always store your mouth guard properly. You should have a ventilated case that keeps it clean while also providing the necessary airflow to prevent mold and other issues. Keeping it in a case also prevents any accidental damage that can affect its performance.

Regularly check the fit and condition of your mouth guards, as they don’t last forever. Doing so is particularly important for children, as their jaws are still developing, and they can grow out of a mouth guard in no time at all. If a mouth guard doesn’t fit anymore or shows signs of damage, like cracks, you’ll need a replacement.

Custom Mouth Guards from Your Family Dentist in Boise, ID

Ensure the best protection for the smiles of your active family with custom mouth guards from Staley Dental. We’ll provide the perfect fit with a high-quality mouth guard that will help prevent injury. Schedule a dentist appointment today to get started.