Athletic mouth guards are designed to distribute the force of an impact of a puck, elbow or stick during contact sports. Damage can be devastating without a sports guard, especially in contact sports such as hockey, football, basketball and even soccer. Protect your precious pearly whites while playing these sports and avoid a trip to an emergency dentist by wearing a sports mouth guard.
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What Are Athletic Mouth Guards?
An athletic mouth guard or a sports mouth guard is made from a thermoplastic material that absorbs the impact and distributes the force of the hit over many teeth instead of the border of a single one in the upper jaw. The athletic mouth guard protects the maxilla (upper jaw) as most impacts take place there. If the mandibula is struck from below, the sports mouth guard absorbs the impact as the teeth impact the surface, reducing the trauma to the biting surfaces and the TMJ.
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How To Protect Your Teeth During Contact Sports
Helmets are a good way to protect your teeth as they offer a layer of protection. Helmets are designed separately for each contact sport; however, helmets are not always guaranteed to help you. Playing certain sports puts you at risk of chipping or even losing a tooth. So, you should always wear a professionally fitted mouth guard so as to be properly prepared for emergencies. Not wearing a mouth guard can result in cracked, chipped or even teeth that are knocked out. An athletic mouth guard can help to reduce the injury and the severe pain as well as a lifetime of expensive treatment. If a tooth is lost, for a young person an implant is the logical solution. This typical cost in excess of a few thousand dollars. This is an expense that could be avoided easily.
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Over The Counter vs. Custom-Made Sports Guards
Although sports guards can be purchased from a drugstore at a cheap price, these are not always effective and can still result in an injury. The most effective mouth guards are customized to fit into your mouth and it is also the most comfortable option. The dentist takes an impression of your teeth witch is used to create a guard that is an exact fit. These are custom-made and durable. You are fully protected, as the guard will not be knocked out of your mouth if it is hit hard during a game. In younger children, with a developing dentition, a new sports guard should be created every fall to ensure a proper fit. Once they reach the teen years, this may not longer be required, as the jaw changes very little.
Dr. Ralph Bastian can design a customized, high-quality athletic mouth guard for contact sports that will help you to avoid an injury. For more information on sports mouth guards or an emergency dentist, contact us for a dentist in Peterborough today.
