Sports Guard Athletes of any age can benefit from wearing mouthguards. According to the American Dental Association, about 10 to 20 percent of sports-related injuries are maxillofacial (face and jaw). In addition, athletes are 60 times more likely to experience dental injury if they do not wear a mouthguard according to the National Youth Sports Foundation for Safety. There are several types of mouthguards available, though our custom-fitted mouthguards at Leavenworth Family Dental will provide you with the most protection.How Mouthguards Protect YouThere are three main types of dental injuries that you could experience: fractures, avulsion (total displacement), and luxation (minor displacement). These can be caused by impacts that you would experience in sports, such as heads or other body parts colliding, getting hit in the mouth with a ball, or falling to the ground. So, even if you do not play an impact sport, you should still wear a mouthguard. Mouthguards prevent and lessen the impact on the teeth, thereby protecting them against fractures and displacement. In addition, the teeth are contained. So, even if a fracture occurs, the tooth would not be able to cut your lip or inside your mouth. In theory, mouthguards may also help to prevent concussions and other traumatic brain injuries. Mouthguards stabilize your jaw, so they are likely to lessen the impact that radiates throughout your head when you do experience a collision. This also prevents more serious jaw injury and ongoing complications with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Types of Sports MouthguardsThere are three main types of sports mouthguards available: stock, boil and bite, and custom-fitted. Stock mouthguards can be purchased at many in-person and online retailers. These do not mold to your teeth and may be bulky or ill-fitting. Boil and bite mouthguards are similar in that they can be purchased over-the-counter, typically from drug stores and sporting goods stores. You must first place this mouthguard in boiled water. Once it heats up, the material becomes malleable and it can then be molded to your teeth. These have earned the ADA Seal of Acceptance and are a nice middle ground of quality and cost-effectiveness. However, custom-fitted mouthguards are always going to offer the most protection. These can be obtained through our office and we will explain the entire process when you call us. Custom-Fitting ProcedureThe process of getting a custom-fitted mouthguard may take a few days, but it is quite simple. During your first appointment, we will get a mold of your teeth to send to our lab where your custom mouthguard can be produced. Our dental lab will use either a vacuum or pressure laminated method to fit the mouthguard material to your dental mold. Once we have this, you can come in for a fitting. Here, we will ensure that the mouthguard fits and is comfortable. We can trim and adjust the mouthguard to a point if you ever have a change in the dental structure. Be sure to bring your mouthguard to all of your routine visits. To get a custom-fitted sports mouthguard, contact Leavenworth Family Dental at 913-682-1550 today. |
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