Mouthguards Are Important for Athletes

Long Beach, CA – April is National Face Protection Month, so we thought that would be a perfect time to talk about the importance of wearing a mouthguard when playing sports whether you wear braces or not. If you don’t play extremely physical sports, such as hockey or football, you might not think a mouthguard is important. But many physical activities could result in a mouth injury that could lead to tooth loss or damage.

Even if your sport doesn’t involve checking, hits or other physical contact with fellow players, you still might be at risk for injury to your teeth, lips, tongue or cheeks. A mouthguard that properly fits can prevent many of these injuries. In fact, many experts recommend that mouthguards be worn even for recreational activities (i.e. skateboarding) that could pose any risk for injury to the mouth.

The American Dental Association estimates that one third of all mouth injuries are sports related and that the use of a mouthguard could eliminate as many as 200,000 mouth injuries each year. The most common sports injuries involving the mouth include chipped and fractured teeth, lip and cheek injuries, damage to the roots of teeth, and fractured jaws. There is also continuing research being done about how a mouthguard may be able to minimize the impact of blows to the head, limiting concussions and other injuries.

At HD Orthodontics, we recommend that patients wear a mouthguard if they are involved with any of the following activities:

Football
Basketball
Cycling
Boxing
Equestrian events
Field hockey
Ice hockey
Lacrosse
Gymnastics
Martial arts
Rugby
Soccer
Baseball/Softball
Volleyball
Water polo
Wrestling

Types of Mouthguards

When it comes to choosing a mouthguard, it’s important to remember that they are not all created equally. There are three basic types of mouthguards. The most common is the stock mouthguard that can be found at your local sporting goods store. The next semi-custom option is what is referred to as a boil and bite, or mouth-formed mouthguard. While the previous two guards will provide some protection to the teeth, the best mouthguard and the type all athletes should use, is a custom one made by a dentist or orthodontist.

To provide the best protection, a mouthguard must be tailored to specifically meet the needs of the user’s mouth. Allowing our office to custom make a mouthguard for you ensures that the guard will fit properly in order to meet the demands of your physical activity.

It’s important that any mouthguard you choose be resistant to tear and damage and be comfortable to wear. A custom-made mouthguard will be fitted specifically for your mouth so comfort will be at the forefront. Additionally, a mouthguard should be easy to clean and shouldn’t restrict your ability to breathe. Both before and after each use, it’s important to properly clean your mouthguard to remove any bacteria or other residue from it. You can use a regular toothbrush and toothpaste to clean it, and then store it in a safe container. The mouthguard should also be kept out of extreme temperatures to avoid warping the plastic.

If you are involved in an activity that requires you to wear a facemask, you can ask your dentist or orthodontist about using a mouthguard strap to attach the guard to the facemask so it won’t get lost or misplaced during play.

We typically only recommend that mouthguards be used for the top teeth, however, in cases with a protruding lower jaw, we may recommend athletes protect their lower teeth, too.

It’s important that you regularly check the mouthguard for damage, including holes or tears, and to ensure it still fits properly. This is crucial to ensuring it can still protect the teeth.

To learn more about how a mouthguard can protect you or your children, or to have a custom mouthguard created, contact HD Orthodontics today.

**If you have a child who is on a sports team and needs a mouthguard, we are looking to sponsor a team for National Face Protection Month and provide all the players with mouthguards! Please contact us at info@hdorthodontics.com to sign up. Space is limited!!