MOUTHGUARDS

Mouthguards

It’s a nightmare you never want to see: your child goes up for a mark and comes down in a crowd, taking an elbow to the teeth. Without protection, this can knock a few teeth out, which can mean pain, lost time, and expensive treatment. But it doesn’t have to happen that way. A mouthguard can dramatically decrease the risk of tooth injury. Mouthguards are recommended for most competitive sports — not just contact sports, and professionally made mouthguards offer the best protection for your teeth.

If you are looking for a mouthguard for you or your child in Hawkesbury, please call (02) 4501 7930 or book an appointment today with a family dentist at Riverlands Dentistry in North Richmond.

Mouthguards Recommended for All Sports

You might think that mouthguards are only necessary for full-contact sports like football or rugby, but that’s not true. Any time people compete, they are at risk for mouth injuries. In fact, tooth injuries are surprisingly common in sports like cricket, basketball, cycling, and equestrian sports.

In studies of sports where mouthguards are not required, people not wearing mouthguards account for as much as 99.6% of mouth injuries. Thus, it’s a good idea to wear a mouthguard even if it’s not strictly required.
  • Do Mouthguards Prevent Concussions?

    Although it seems reasonable that absorbing the force of blows could reduce the concussion risk, the evidence does not support that mouthguards reduce concussion risk.

  • Can Mouthguards Improve Athletic Performance?

    Periodically, we see claims that certain mouthguards improve athletic performance. These claims also seem plausible once we understand how TMJ can impact the body beyond the jaw, but they don’t stand up to rigorous investigation.

Mouthguards Protect More Than Your Teeth

Although we think of mouthguards as protecting our teeth, they are actually good at protecting your entire mouth. Mouthguards can protect against: 
  • Broken Teeth 
  • Knocked-Out Teeth 
  • Cut Lips 
  • Cut Tongue 
  • Broken Jaw
Mouthguards work by absorbing the force of an impact and spreading it out. They prevent teeth from contacting hard against one another, and cushion the blow so that less energy gets passed through the body.

Custom-Fitted Mouthguards Are Best

There are many different mouthguards available, and we might divide them into three classes:
  • Stock
  • Boil-And-Bite
  • Custom
Stock mouthguards are used as-is. They aren’t customized at all, and do not provide much protection at all. They can easily be dislodged from the teeth and can get caught in the throat. These mouthguards can make it hard to breath and speak, and many people find they’d rather not wear them, and they don’t provide any protection when they’re not being worn.

Boil-and-bite mouthguards are not much better. In fact, they can be worse because of the false confidence they give. They can seem custom-fit, but because you’re not an expert at fitting mouthguards, they can often be off-center, and may have only minimal material between the teeth. What little protection they offer rapidly diminishes as they get worn down quickly.

Custom mouthguards are made by a dentist and are designed to provide the best protection. They are also made to be durable, and can last a full season, sometimes two or more, depending on how hard you wear them. We can regularly check your mouthguard to make sure it still fits and protects you from injury.

Custom Mouthguards in Hawkesbury

If you’re looking to protect your or your child’s teeth from injury, please call (02) 4501 7930 or book an appointment with a Hawkesbury family dentist at Riverlands Dental in North Richmond.
Book An Appointment Today
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