If you play a contact sport, and a lot of Aussies do, you risk injuring your teeth. Jamie had a “dead” tooth due to a very bad breakage which showed up 3 months after the game!
Many sports have a risk of contact, even a small bump or a little slip has the potential for serious
dental injury. These injuries can be complicated to treat and sometimes result in a lifetime of expense.
The damage done
Mouthguards can protect you from some serious sporting injuries, such as broken jaws,
fractured, cracked or knocked-out teeth, cut lips and tongues.
Its not just playing the obvious contact sports such as AFL, boxing, hockey, rugby league and
rugby union, that can result in those kinds of injuries. Even non-contact sports such as soccer,
touch football, skateboarding, baseball, basketball and cricket have the potetntial for accidental collision, which could give you quite a good knock to the face.
How a mouthguard works
A custom-fitted mouthguard works by absorbing and spreading the impact of the damaging blow, and is fabricated based on an impression of your teeth and jaw taken by your dentist.
A mouthguard that is custom-fitted by your dentist is far superior to an over-the- counter mouthguard because it’s specially designed to fit the exact contours of your mouth, is resilient, balances your bite and allows speech and normal breathing.
If properly used, stored, and checked by your dentist every year, a custom-fitted mouthguard should last several seasons.
In contrast, self-fitted, over-the- counter mouthguards, which include what are commonly known as boil-and- bite mouthguards, should not be used. They do not protect the teeth, are loosely fitted, impede breathing and speaking, and can even wedge in the back of the throat at impact which could be life threatening.
Wearing a custom-fitted mouthguard
Custom-fitted mouthguards, thanks to their exact fit, let you talk normally, don’t restrict your breathing and stay firmly in place, allowing you to concentrate on playing the sport you love. You should consider it a mandatory part of your sporting equipment, no matter your age or experience.
To keep your mouthguard in tip-top working order, you’ll need to keep it out of the sun, wash it in cold water after use, keep on the supplied plastic model cast and get your dentist to make sure it’s still OK when you go in for your regular check-ups.
Only dental professionals can design and manufacture a custom-fitted mouthguard that provides adequte protection.
Give us a call today and get your teeth protected – (03)97874439
Information credited to – Australian Dental Assosiation (ADA)
