If you love playing sports, you probably spend quite a lot on equipment for your chosen activity, to help you play better and possibly to protect your body, but do you protect your smile? Every year, dentists in Oshawa see far too many patients with dental injuries sustained during sports, and the consequences can be upsetting and costly. Some dental injuries can result in a lifetime of restorative dental care when the damage could have been reduced or even avoided with a well-fitting sports mouth guard.
When to Get a Sports Mouth Guard?
If you participate in any sport where you could take a blow to the mouth, consider getting a sports mouth guard. The risk of injury is clear in some sports, for example, hockey! In others, the risk is less obvious, such as when horse riding, or during gymnastics, skateboarding or mountain biking. You can sustain a dental injury while playing sports on your own, as well as during team events.
What Is a Sports Mouth Guard?
Usually, a sports mouth guard fits over the upper teeth. It is made from a resilient plastic material and should be comfortable to wear. A properly fitted mouth guard will not restrict your breathing or speech. It will help protect your teeth and lips from damage, cushioning them and reducing the impact of any blow to your mouth. If you currently wear braces or have other dental appliances fitted to your lower teeth, we might suggest you protect these teeth with a sports mouth guard as well.
Why Get a Custom-Fitted Sports Mouth Guard?
You can purchase sports mouth guards in Whitby from sporting goods stores and drugstores, but while these are cheap, they offer minimal protection at best. They can hinder speech and breathing and may fall out while you play sports. Because they are often bulky and uncomfortable to wear, you are less likely to use them, leaving your teeth unprotected. Your teeth and jaws are so important, why risk their health in this way?
A Comfortable Fit and the Best Protection
A custom-fit mouth guard provides the very best level of protection for your teeth and jaws. Our mouth guards are made from a hardwearing plastic material that is odour and taste-free. Because they are made to fit over your teeth specifically, a custom mouth guard is comfortable to wear. We will make sure it doesn’t affect breathing or speech, and it won’t fall out while you wear it.
Making Your Custom Fit Mouth Guard
Fabricating a custom-fit mouth guard is quick, painless and non-invasive. We take an accurate impression of your mouth using a small comfortable 3-D oral scanner that scans your teeth and gums accurately. Digital impression technology provides you with a better fitting appliance, all without the need for a messy tray impression.
Once we have scanned your mouth, we can make your mouth guard to our exact specifications, designing it so it won’t dig in uncomfortably and instead fit securely around your teeth and gums. When it is made, we can try in your sports mouth guard in Ajax, and it is then ready to use.
Caring for Your Sports Mouth Guard
Make sure you clean your mouth guard thoroughly after each use, rinsing it in plenty of clean, cool water. Store it in a perforated container well away from any heat source which could distort it. We can check the fit of your mouth guard at every appointment, and it will need replacing periodically. Sports mouth guards for children may need replacing more frequently as their teeth and jaws develop.
