Sport Mouth Guard Dentist
Home »Accidents in sport and some leisure activities that involve the head can commonly lead to some form of dental injury. Bats, balls, push-bikes, skateboards and physical contact from playing sports can lead to a dental injury?
Sport mouth guards are compulsory for rugby, AFL, boxing, soccer and hockey. A fitted mouth guard made by a dentist offers the best comfort and protection.
It’s not only your teeth that can be protected from injury, but other parts of your head and jaw. The Australian Dental Association says there are five reasons why you should wear a mouth guard for playing sports.
- It cushions teeth against impact.
- It protects your jaw joints.
- It helps protect your neck and prevents jaw injuries.
- It potentially reduces chance of concussions.
- It prevents soft tissue injury.
Click here to see the diagram outlining the five facial areas affected by shocks and the 5 reasons (mentioned above) why you should wear a mouth protector for sports.
Does my child really need to wear a sport mouth guard?
Playing contact sports as a child coincides with tooth development, so yes, kids should wear them when engaging in physical contact sports as once the damage is done, it often cannot be reversed.
It is estimated that a fifth of Aussie children have experienced “dental trauma” by the time they are 14 years old. That means having at least one tooth knocked out, broken or displaced. As you only get one set of adult teeth, that kind of damage will stay with you for life. Even having a tooth dislodged can force the root into unnatural positions. Apart from being amazingly painful, this can lead to abscesses and bone damage that will stay part of the facial structure into the future.
The ages between 10 and 14 is when a person’s dentistry settles into place. This doesn’t just mean the teeth, but skull and jawbone growth as well. After that, the orofacial structure stays the same for life.
Just as it’s a good time to have braces fitted, it’s the worst time to suffer facial damage, which is why our family dentists recommend anyone, especially kids in this age bracket partaking in a physical contact sport (including training and during games), only do so while wearing a fitted sport mouth guard.
The best teeth guard you can have is one that is custom made to fit your teeth and jawline by your dentist.
If you wear braces, you still need one for playing contact sports.
Should I or my child wear a dentist made mouth guard for non-contact sports?
Sports Medicine Australia and the Australian Dental Association recommend wearing a dental sport mouth guard regardless of whether the sport played is considered a ‘contact sport’ or not.
At Mooloolaba Dental and Swell Dental, our local dentists on the Sunshine Coast can fabricate the best, most comfortable and well-fitting, custom sport mouth guard to help protect your teeth (or your child’s teeth) in the case of any trauma suffered to the face or jaw.
The fitted, dental mouth guard is completed over two Mooloolaba dentist appointments: During the first dental appointment we take a mould of your teeth and during the second appointment we ask you to test it to ensure it’s an accurate, comfortable fit.
Why shouldn’t I just get a cheap mouth guard over-the-counter?
Our dentists advise against this as boil-and-bite over the counter mouth protectors for sports as they are less effective and can be rather uncomfortable as they don’t often conform and mould themselves well to a person’s bite and jaw anatomy.
As far as studies go, various have concluded fitted mouth guards do not affect performance when playing sports, while over the counter cheap ones often do due to discomfort and/or breathing difficulties.
How do I clean my or my child’s mouth guard?
After using one you need to clean it. Cleaning sport teeth guards is a simple procedure, simply rinse with soap and warm water, and then rinse off and allow to air-dry. You should also use mouthwash occasionally as a disinfectant.
When it is not in use, the sport mouth guard should be kept in a cool place and stored in a plastic container with air vents.
If you would like to find out more about our custom made mouth guards for sport, or wish to know the cost of having one fitted, please call us, or book in for a dentist appointment. Alternatively, if you grind your teeth during your sleep or while you are awake, then an occlusal splint for bruxism is exactly what you need.