Wear a mouthguard at play, to keep the injuries away!
Wearing a custom-fitted mouthguard while participating in sports is vitally important to help prevent dental injuries.
Sporting accidents are one of the most common causes of dental injury. Every year, thousands of people in Australia, including children, are treated for dental injuries that could have been avoided or minimised by wearing a protective, custom-fitted mouthguard.
The Australian Dental Association (ADA) strongly recommends wearing a custom-fitted mouthguard made by your dentist to ensure maximum protection.
Over the counter mouthguards do not provide enough protection against injuries to your teeth, mouth or jaw. Dental injuries can be very costly, so it is worthwhile investing in a custom-fitted mouthguard.
A custom-fitted mouthguard ise made by your dentist, who takes an impression and creates a plaster model of your teeth. Custom-fitting allows your dentist to accurately assess your mouth and the best fitting mouthguard for you
Custom-fitted mouthguards provide a better fit than other varieties, as they are made to suit your individual needs. When made by your dentist, a custom-fitted mouthguard is:
– Comfortable
– Well-fitting
– Allows you to speak clearly
– Won’t shift or fall out
– Won’t restrict your breathing
Over-the-counter mouthguards are far less effective than those that are custom-fitted. These mouthguards include stock mouthguards that do not require fitting, and mouthguards that can be placed in hot water and then self-fitted by biting into the mould.
The ADA and Standards Australia do not recommend over-the-counter mouthguards. They are poorly fitting and less comfortable to wear because they have not been specifically fitted to the shape of your mouth and teeth. This greatly lessens their effectiveness and can increase the risk of damage to teeth.
Why do you need a mouthguard?
Damaged or knocked out teeth, broken jaws and cut lips can be sustained when playing sport. Wearing a custom-fitted mouthguard helps to absorb and spread the impact of a blow to your face, which might otherwise result in an injury to your mouth or jaw.
Over-the-counter mouthguards do not provide enough protection against injuries to your teeth, mouth or jaw.
Is any sort of mouthguard better than none?
A boil and bite mouthguard may be a short-term choice if there is absolutely no alternative available, but even with careful attention to directions, the best result is a poorly fitting mouthguard that offers inadequate protection. Some studies place their degree of protection only slightly better than wearing no mouthguard at all.
Mouthguard maintenance
Mouthguards need to be rinsed in cold water after use, dried and stored in a plastic container. Mouthguards can distort under high temperatures, so they should be kept in a cool place.
Have your mouthguard checked at your regular dental check-up to make sure it still fits correctly and offers maximum protection. Sometimes, a mouthguard needs to be replaced if major changes occur to the teeth, like restorations or adult teeth coming through.
