According to the American Dental Association more than 2 million teeth are knocked out each year due to sports-related injuries; however approximately 200,000 high school and college athletes use mouthguards to avoid such injuries. To protect your mouth while you are on the field, talk to your dentist about having a custom athletic mouthguard made for you.
What is a mouthguard?
An athletic mouthguard is a flexible appliance that is worn during athletic and recreational activities to protect teeth from trauma. Custom fabricated mouthguards are essential for preventing athletic oral/facial injuries such as broken teeth, jaw fracture, cerebral hemorrhage, and neck injuries. Mouthguards are effective at moving the lips and cheeks away from the teeth, thus preventing cutting and bruising of these soft tissues - especially for those who wear orthodontic appliances. Wearing a mouthguard can also reduce the severity and incidence of concussion.
When should I wear a mouthguard?
It is advisable to wear a mouthguard anytime there is a strong chance for contact with other participants or with hard surfaces. The National Youth Sports Foundation for the Prevention of Athletic Injuries Inc. reports that dental injuries are the most common type of orofacial injury sustained during sports related activities. Mouthguards should be worn when participating in activities such as basketball, softball/baseball, football, wrestling, soccer, lacrosse, rugby, hockey, skateboarding and bicycling.
What are the different types of mouthguards?
There are several types of mouthguards, including the following:
- Stock mouthguard: This is a ready to use product that you can buy off the shelf, and is not custom fit to your mouth. This type of mouthguard must be held in the mouth by biting down on it; as a result, it may interfere with speech and breathing. This type of mouthguard offer the least amount of protection and is not considered an acceptable device for facial protection.
- Mouth-formed mouthguard: There are two types of mouth-formed mouthguards. The first is a shell-liner mouthguard that is made from an acrylic that is poured into an outer shell and allowed to set and forms an inner lining. The second type is a thermoplastic (also known as a boil-and-bite) mouthguard. This type of mouthguard is softened in hot water, placed in the mouth, and shaped around the teeth. Both types of mouth-formed mouthguards offer some degree of protection but will usually be bulky and have a loose fit.
- Custom-made mouthguard: The best choice is a mouthguard that is custom made by your dentist. It offers the best protection, fit and comfort level because it is made from a model of your teeth.
- Clean with soap and cool (not hot) water
- Keep your mouthguard in a well-ventilated plastic storage container when you are not using it.
- Soak in denture cleaner for 30 minutes before storing.
- Protect from high temperatures caused by hot water and hot surfaces as heat will distort the the mouthguard and prevent it from fitting properly.
