Studies report that 13-39% of dental injuries are sports-related. Sports participation has increased over time, and as a consequence of this growing development in contact sports, the occurrence of injuries has also increased.
Dental injuries are usually effortlessly avoided with the use of mouth guards. Specialists have continued to encourage the use of mouth guards by athletes in dangerous and leisure contact sports where impact, contact, and collision will undoubtedly happen.
Mouth guards are protective devices that shelter the teeth and gums to reduce injuries to the lips, cheeks, tongue, jaw, and gums. They are usually prescribed to reduce harm in sports, for specific maxilofacial operations including tooth bleaching and to cure TMD.
Benefits of Using a Mouth Guard When Playing Contact Sports
Without the use of a mouth guard, accidents can lead to dental injuries during any sporting activity. They include concussions, fractured crowns or bridgework, nerve damage to the teeth, broken jaws, fractured teeth, as well as tissue damage to the lips and cheeks.
Any athlete may be at risk of an oral injury, which is preventable with the use of a mouth guard. Benefits of using a mouth guard include:
Guards Against Tooth Intrusion, Avulsion, Extrusion, Displacement, and Breakage of Tooth
Using a mouth guard when playing sports is essential because if there is a lot of contacts, there is a high chance of being hit in the face or mouth. Wearing a mouth guard can prevent a tooth from getting loose, broken, and utterly dislodged.
Protects Against Tooth Concussion and Jaw Fractures
Your jaw could get fractured without difficulty if you are stuck in the face. However, if you are wearing a fitting mouth guard, this sort of injury is avoidable because it softens and suppresses any blow to the jaw either by a ball or an elbow.
Protects Against Soft Tissue Injuries
During a match, if you get hit by a ball or an elbow, you could unintentionally chew down on your tongue, lips, or bite the insides of your cheeks and gums. A mouth guard will deter injuries like this from happening.
Prevention of Dental Injuries
Mouth guards should be compulsory for children, teenagers, and adults in contact sports such as boxing, ice hockey, roller hockey, soccer, field hockey, wrestling, basketball. Others include rugby, handball, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, football, and martial arts, where there is a high risk of injury.
Adults and children involved in water polo, lacrosse, skateboarding, acrobatics, shot putting, skiing, gymnastics, acrobats, squash, skydiving, and mountain biking would also benefit from wearing mouth guards to prevent injuries to the mouth.
Other professionals add surfing, weightlifting, racquetball, baseball, and softball infielders to the list. It is also advisable to wear a mouth guard during all training events and competitions.
Also, children and adults who grind their teeth during sleep (called bruxism) should wear a mouth guard to bed. It keeps their top and bottom teeth separated and protects them from sore gums, tooth, and jaw pain. Pro Teeth Guard offers custom made, flawlessly fitted, and quality custom dental night guard for teeth grinding.
Types of Mouth Guards
Since you now understand why they are so beneficial to an athletes’ health, let’s discuss the types of mouth guards available. There are three types of mouth guards, depending on your needs and budget. Each of them comes with its level of protection.
1. Stock Mouth Guards
A stock mouth guard is accessible and inexpensive. It comes in small, medium, and large sizes and is pre-shaped for your teeth. On the other hand, stock mouth guards make talking and breathing challenges, are usually unpleasant, bulky, and do not provide a tight fit. Their protection value is low. It is obtainable at most drug stores and sporting goods stores.
2. Boil and Bite Mouth Guards
These provide a better fit than the stock mouth guards because you can alter them to fit over your teeth. It involves boiling it to soften, placing it over the front teeth, and biting down for it to form.
3. Custom-made Mouth Guards
They are custom-designed to fit an individual’s teeth. A dentist would take an impression of your teeth, then cast a unique material over it and mold a mouth guard with the exact form of your teeth. They, are more comfortable, offer the best protection but are expensive due to the amount of work involved in making them
How to Care for Your Mouth Guard as an Athlete:
- Rinse your mouth guard with water or toothpaste before and after use.
- Store it in a container, preferably with holes to prevent germs from growing.
- Do not chew the mouth guard that will reduce its lifespan.
- Keep it away from high temperatures or direct sunlight to prevent its shape from changing.
- You must check the mouth guard occasionally for wear. If you notice any weakness, holes, tears in it, or if it causes discomfort or becomes slack, change it.
- Keep it away from pets and take it along with you for your dental checkups.
Conclusion
In conclusion, an effective mouth guard should be resilient and comfortable, fit properly, be durable, easily cleaned, and not hinder speech or breathing. A mouth guard is beneficial because it aids the prevention of dental injuries.
The first step to keeping your teeth safe is by washing it every day. Using a mouth guard during your sporting activities will offer further protection and limit any accident to your teeth, lips, and jaws. If you do not know which type is suitable for you, visit a dentist for a recommendation.
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