Why You Should Wear A Mouthguard During Contact Sports

Mouthguards prevent injuries to the face and mouth. They are made of soft plastic or laminate and prevent injuries incurred when you receive contact to the face or mouth. As well as your teeth, they also protect your mouth, gums, cheeks and jaw.

How Do They Protect?

Although a mouthguard won’t stop you from being hit in the first place, they can reduce the damage. They spread the impact out, reducing it across each area. They also absorb some of the force as they are made from a soft material.

Using Mouthguards In Sports

Sports injuries account for 1/3 of all injuries to the mouth and face. A direct blow to your face can result in a lot of tooth trauma. Not only can your teeth be completely knocked out, but they can become dislodged, cracked, chipped or loosened. A mouthguard acts as a cushion to reduce the blow and reduce the risk of fractures and bone damage to both the lower jaw and neck.

Types Of Mouthguards

There are three types:

• Stock: comes in a range of premade shapes and sizes. They are the cheapest but they don’t offer a comfortable fit or a high level of protection because they are one-size-fits-all.
• Boil-and-bite: They are the middle ground between premade and custom fit in terms of cost and function. The process involves placing them in boiled water before biting into them to leave an impression of your teeth.
• Custom-made: offer the best protection and it is often worth the higher cost. A dentist will take an impression of your teeth and orders a guard personalised to your bite.

Taking Care Of Your Mouthguard

• Rinse with cold water and clean with toothpaste and a toothbrush to remove plaque.
• Avoid hot water, hot surfaces and directly sunlight as they can lead to warping.
• soak in non-alcoholic mouth rinse before cleaning with water.

Here at Newby Dental Practice your dentist can make you a mouthguard in as little as 3 days. Call us now on 01723 670500 to book your appointment.