Many of our patients play sports, and with school year start just around the corner, it’s a great time to remind all of you to take care of your mouth while participating in sports. This is especially important for contact sports like soccer, football, baseball, wrestling, field hockey, ice hockey and basketball.
One of the most critical pieces of sports equipment you can wear during sports is a mouth guard. A professionally fitted, custom mouth guard allows you to breathe and speak more clearly, in addition to protecting your mouth and teeth from damage such as chips or lacerations. Only by using a mouth guard can athletes avoid serious mouth and jaw injuries.
Our office has created custom mouthguards for many patients who want to up the level of their game – from Olympic teams to Roller Derby teams – we’ve done it all. The next time you’re in for an appointment, we encourage you to let us know if you’re playing or planning to play any sports. We can recommend mouth protection that will work best for you.
Here are a few quick items to remember for keeping yourself safe during sport activities and making the most of your mouthguard:
- Wear protection in addtion to a mouthguard: a helmet, protective eye wear and face shield can help protect other areas of your head and face
- Mouth guards don’t just help protect teeth – they can help cushion the shock to the surrounding jaw area which helps reduce incidents of concussion
- A custom fitted mouthguard from your dentist will protect better than one-size fits all guards
- Clean your mouthguard regularly – rinse it and dry it completely before storage
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment for your custom mouthguard.
Good luck on the field (or mat, or court)!
