Did you know that 25% of all mouth injuries we see in our dental offices are related to sports? Both kids and adults want to be able to exercise without fear of injury. There is a simple solution that can protect your family: custom athletic & sports mouth guards.
If you or your children play team sports such as hockey, basketball, football, soccer, baseball, or softball, it is prudent to invest in a custom sports mouth guard. However, there are many other recreational activities where it helps to wear a mouth guard. Skateboarding, rollerblading, ice skating, and other physical activities can also pose a risk for mouth injuries. Any small accident or fall can result in damaged teeth or your teeth damaging other parts of your mouth and face. A mouth guard prevents teeth from damaging the soft parts of your face through impact, such as going through a lip or cutting a cheek. Well-fitting mouth guards also protect teeth from damage such as shattering, cracking, breaking against other teeth, or becoming loose.
To protect against potential damage, we recommend all children and adults wear a custom mouth guard while playing sports.
Are custom sports mouth guards better?
Generic sports mouth guards can be found in many drugstores and sports stores. However, basic sports mouth guards, even the ones that you soften in boiling water and form to your mouth, are not truly a perfect fit. They can still slip and slide around on your mouth, preventing the mouth guard from actually protecting your teeth.
Our dentists use specialized techniques to ensure that your custom mouth guard fits your teeth much better, offering superior comfort and protection. It will both cushion and shield the upper teeth of your mouth, and prevent damage from the upper and lower teeth hitting against one another in falls and accidents. Custom mouth guards fit your upper teeth because the upper teeth are the most likely to be injured or injure another part of your face, while the lower teeth are more naturally protected.
Dental injuries are more common than you might think. A well-fitted mouth guard is an essential piece of sports equipment and should be in every athlete’s sports bag. Make sure you, or your child, is ready to get in the game! Choose one of our locations and give us a call to learn more about getting a custom mouth guard.