The Value of an Athletic Mouthguard

Athletes are prone to injury, but a large majority of sports-related injuries involve the mouth and jaw – and it is not always as minor as a busted lip. These injuries could range from broken teeth and jaw fractures to cerebral hemorrhages and neck injuries. What you may not realize, however, is that a simple mouthguard can significantly lower an athletes risk for such devastating injuries when worn during sports.

What is an Athletic Mouthguard?

An athletic mouthguard is a flexible appliance designed to protect the teeth, gums and jaw from trauma during sports or any type of recreational activities. When fabricated and fit properly by a dentist, these mouthguards can help orthodontic patients avoid lacerations and bruising to the soft tissues by keeping the cheeks and lips away from braces.

Custom athletic mouthguards have also been reported to reduce the severity and incidence of concussions. These oral appliances should be considered for any sport or activity that has the potential for injury or a bad fall, which means not just football or boxing but soccer, lacrosse, basketball, baseball, skateboarding, etc.

The Drawbacks of Store-Bought Mouthguards

There are different types of athletic mouthguards. The least expensive options can be bought at your local sporting goods store or pharmacy. These are stock mouthguards or “boil-and-bite” mouthguards. Unfortunately, these ready-made or DIY types of mouthguards come with significant limitations in terms of protection, comfort and effectiveness.

Stock mouthguards require an athlete to close the jaw to hold it in place, which limits speech and breathing and can also contribute to sore jaw muscles. They can also be bulky and loose, which causes players to take them in and out of their mouth during a game or practice. Most importantly, store-bought mouthguards do not offer the level of protection that custom athletic mouthguards do. Your mouth is not a one-size-fits all so it makes sense that a stock mouthguard would fail in terms of fully protecting the gums, teeth and jaw from traumatic injury.

Call Gainesville Dental Group for Custom Athletic Mouthguards

Is your athletic protected this season? To avoid the devastation and cost of serious dental injuries while playing sports, consider a custom mouthguard from our experts at Gainesville Dental Group. It takes just one brief visit for us get the precise measurements we need to fabricate a custom athletic mouthguard that is superior protection, fit and comfort!

Posted on behalf of Gainesville Dental Group