If you’ve ever seen a high-contact sport, you’re probably aware that players are required to wear mouthguards. Imagine having someone run into you at high speed and force, accidentally slamming into your mouth. There is sure to be some damage there. That’s where mouthguards come in handy. Statistically, according to the American Dental Association, people are up to 60 times more likely to sustain a dental injury when playing without a mouthguard compared to people who elect to wear them. Mouthguards can prevent much avoidable injury and lessen damage done when faced with contact. It is important to successfully prevent injury to both your body and your mouth, as damage could lead to long term impact on your life. Interested about what a mouth guard is and if you would benefit from using one? Keep reading below to learn how mouthguards prevent dental injuries.
What Exactly is a Mouthguard?
A mouthguard is a dense plastic retainer that fits in your mouth over your teeth and gums to prevent injury during potential contact. There are three main types of mouthguards – custom, stock, and mouth-formed. All three provide different benefits than the other. For example, custom mouthguards are made through molds of your teeth and mouth taken by a dentist, which then are used to plastic form a replica of your oral shape. This ensures a perfect fit of your teeth, creating the least injury from impact.
A stock mouthguard is the general shape of a mouth intended to fit a variety of people. This approach is cheaper, but not as effective as a custom formed version. The third type, mouth-formed mouthguard, a cheaper version of a custom mouthguard, has two layers. The inner layer is used to form the shape of your teeth, then set in cold water to solidify and be placed inside the outer plastic shell. This ensures a better fit than the stock guard but isn’t as effective as a professionally molded custom mouthguard. Wearing a mouthguard can significantly decrease your chances of becoming injured or sustaining an oral injury when playing a contact intensive game.
What Can a Mouthguard Prevent?
Mouthguards were invented to prevent various forms of injury. The most obvious reason they are used is to avoid tooth damage upon unexpected impact. Human teeth are sensitive, yet strong, but any form of contact has the ability to threaten their stability. For example, if you accidentally get hit in the face, you could knock out a tooth or significantly damage it. With a mouthguard, this preventative layer allows protection from this harm, as well as other damage such as jaw injury or cut lips and tongue. You won’t have to worry about losing a tooth or sustaining oral injury on the field when wearing one!
Another lesser known positive result of wearing a mouthguard is it could lessen the severity of a concussion. This is because mouthguards are known to absorb shock of impacts which lead to higher stability of the head and neck upon impact. Wearing a mouthguard, especially a custom one, can significantly impact your health when playing a high-impact sport. It is important to utilize one every time you play to prevent injury and allow you to keep playing the sport that you love.
Get Fitted for a Custom Mouthguard Today
To prevent damage done to you and your mouth when playing sports, custom mouthguards are sure to do the trick. To get fitted for a custom mouthguard, your local dentist can help. They’ll take a mold of your mouth and get you fitted for the perfect one immediately. This way, you won’t have to worry about damaging yourself and your body when partaking in the game you love.
Take preventative measures and avoid potential injury today by receiving a custom-fitted mouthguard at Inglewood Family Dental. If you or someone you love is interested in a mouthguard, contact us today to arrange a consultation.
