Protecting Your Oral Health
Without proper mouth protection, sports injuries to the jaw and mouth can result in painful issues and costly dental restorations. Sports mouth guards that are custom fit by a dentist protect your mouth from impact and leave your smile intact.
Mouth Guards for Sports
For amateur and professional athletes alike, mouthguards are an important piece of protective equipment. They’re typically made from thin, clear plastic that fits over the teeth. Most often, a mouth guard fits over the top teeth only, although if you have orthodontics or restorations on your bottom teeth, you may need another guard.
Your dentist may recommend that you wear a mouth guard while playing sports in a competitive or high-impact environment, such as hockey, basketball, gymnastics, football, baseball, or mountain biking.
Although many people wear mouth guards to protect their teeth (especially the front teeth), they can also prevent many other injuries. In addition to protection from impact or injury, mouth guards can prevent against teeth grinding and clenching during a game or practice. Having a guard for grinding can relieve and prevent long-term jaw pain, and may also prevent TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders from developing. Finally, a guard may protect your head and brain, reducing the risk of concussions when impacts are delivered to the lower jaw.
