How Essential Are Sports Mouthguards?

Sports mouthguards are dental appliances worn over the teeth to protect them from injury during recreational activities and contact sports. Mouthguards are also beneficial to protect the teeth from bruxism, which is a common problem among many people.

If you are involved in contact sports or any other recreational activities that can cause you to fall and injure your teeth, it will help wear a sports mouthguard as a protective measure. Mouthguards are beneficial for everyone involved in contact sports like football, boxing, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, and field hockey. However, participating in noncontact sports such as gymnastics or skateboarding and mountain biking can also pose risks of injuries to the mouth. It would receive the protection needed by wearing a sports mouthguard.

Which Type of Mouth Guard Is Suitable for You?

There are two varieties of mouthguards available in drugstores and sports goods stores.

Stock Mouthguards

This variety is preformed and ready to wear. They are affordable and can be purchased at most sports goods stores or even supermarkets. However, they work on the principle that one size fits all. They can be difficult to adjust because they are bulky and can make breathing and speaking difficult. They are the variety that provides no protection to the mouth but only protects the manufacturer by increasing their sales. Dentists do not recommend using stock mouthguards for anyone participating in sporting activities.

Boil and Bite Mouthguards

Boil and bite mouthguards can be purchased from any sporting goods stores and offer a better fit than stock mouthguards. The boil and bite variety is fabricated from thermoplastic. The manufacturer suggests placing the mouth guard in hot water to soften it up and, after that putting it in the mouth to shape it around the teeth using tongue and finger pressure. This variety is undoubtedly better than stock mouthguards but cannot offer comprehensive protection against impacts and injuries.

Customized Sports Mouthguards

The Highland Village dentist offers mouthguards in Highland Village customized to fit your mouth. These mouthguards are individually fabricated in a dental office or a laboratory. This dentist near you will initially take impressions of your teeth before fabricating the dental appliance. The mouth guard is then molded over the model by using a unique material.

The unique material costs more, and the dental appliance needs time to prepare. However, it offers you comprehensive protection without hindering your ability to speak or breathe. As the mouthguard is customized for your mouth, you can rest assured it provides you total protection against any impacts you may encounter when playing sports. Perhaps the only drawback of a customized mouthguard from the Highland Village dentist is the higher price you may have to pay for the comfort and protection it offers.

Why Shouldn’t You Avoid Mouthguards When Playing Sports?

Accidents can happen anywhere during physical activities. If you are wearing a mouthguard during sporting activities, it can help to limit the risk of oral injuries to your lips, tongue, soft tissue, and teeth. Mouthguards can help you to avoid chipped or cracked teeth, nerve damage to your teeth, or even tooth loss.

The Costs of Not Wearing a Customized Mouthguard Are More Expensive

You may believe accidents don’t happen to you or, if they do, are unlikely to cause harm to your oral cavity. However, can you risk the chances of getting impacted in the mouth and losing a couple of teeth? The consequences of treating an oral injury will cost significantly more than the price of a custom-made mouthguard. Oral injuries will also leave you with significant pain and perhaps impact your appearance temporarily or permanently.

A custom-made mouthguard from a dental professional will function as a preventive measure against injuries for your teeth and soft tissues in the mouth. Consider it as a small investment against significant expenditure from the consequences of treating injuries from an accident. You will understand the differences between the two when you realize that a preventive measure is better than cure. Your options are simple. You can either have a custom-made mouthguard to efficiently safeguard your dental health or invest in stock mouthguards or boil and bite mouthguards and leave yourself open to injuries and significant expenditure besides pain and discomfort.