Why Athletes Should Wear A Mouthguard

Athletes often suffer a series of injuries to their faces, especially mouths, while playing contact sports. One must note that these injuries can be much more severe than tooth loss. If not treated on time. These can result in long-term problems. You might be surprised to find out that all benefits and injury prevention is possible by wearing a mouthguard.

High-impact sports are definitely filled with adrenaline and might result in damage to your soft mouth tissue, jaw, neck, or brain injuries. With the proper protective equipment, you can enjoy your favorite sports. You can visit our experts at Elgin Dentist, TX, to learn more about the correct type of mouthguard for you.

What Is A Mouthguard?

Once you are ready to begin a safe sports journey, you must understand what a mouthguard is and how it works. It is a tiny dental device that fits inside your mouth to protect your teeth and overall mouth from injuries. It protects your jaw from sudden blows and allows you to stay conscious.

The right mouth guard is a protective equipment that comes in handy for almost all sports-related injuries affecting the mouth. Contact sports players, including basketball, boxing, hockey, football, gymnastics, volleyball, soccer, skiing, lacrosse, wrestling, and various others, use mouthguards as protection from heavy blows to the head.

Why is Wearing a Mouth Guard Essential?

Mouthguard is a proactive equipment essential for all players, whether kids or adults. The guard protects your kid’s soft tissue around the mouth and lips and risks chipping or breaking of teeth due to injury. Usually, the mouthguard covers the upper teeth, but for better protection of lower teeth, a dental brace can be placed.

Mouth guards can protect against the tear and injury of cheeks and gums. This is why a well-fitted mouthguard is essential. You must visit your dentist to find the right type of mouth guard. Sometimes, they are necessary equipment for children while they learn recreational activities such as skateboarding or mountain biking to minimize their injuries.

Types of Mouth Guard

When choosing the right fit for your mouth, you must explore all types of mouthguards. There are three types of guards available. These include:

• Stock Mouth Guard: These are readily available and the most affordable mouthguards in the market. They come in a variety of sizes and are pre-made. You can select the closest size of your mouth as it is challenging to find the perfect match. You must visit your dentist to find the right size. If your mouthguard is ill-fitted, your ability to speak or breathe will be directly affected. You can also damage your teeth and gums by using the wrong size of mouthguards.
• Boil and Bite Mouth Guard: These are also premade mouthguards, just like stock mouthguards. However, they are a bit better in quality than the stock mouthguards. They offer a better, tighter, and safer fit and are a bit more costly than them. Unlike stock mouthguards, they come in one size, and they are customized as per your genuine size.
• Custom Mouth Guard: If you are a professional player or more concerned about the perfect fit, you must invest in the best of the best. Custom-made mouthguards are expensive but the most effective protection equipment for high-impact sports. Professional athletes use dental experts to take their exact impressions of teeth and create a personalized mouthguard. You will get the perfect fit for your teeth, including bridges and braces, to maximize the protection of your mouth.

Essential Benefits of Wearing a Mouth Guard

Mouthguards are useful for the protection and safety of your teeth. But what protects and prevents? And what are its benefits? Here are the top benefits a mouthguard offers:

• Protects your Teeth: Protection from teeth loss or dental injuries is one of the most prominent benefits of mouthguards. It usually affects your upper teeth as it is attached to it. If you need protection for lower teeth, you must get braces as protection. You can protect your teeth from being broken, chipped, or knocked off while playing contact sports.
• Protects Your Dental Restorations: Players with recent dental restorations such as braces, bridges, or implants might need some extra protection. Damage to these restorations is painful and might cause expensive replacements. A mouthguard becomes extremely important for such athletes who have recent dental procedures or restorations to protect their teeth from an accident.

Protects Your Soft Tissue In your Mouth

Mouthguards are also helpful to protect your teeth from soft tissue damage.

• Prevents Serious Injuries: They protect your teeth from severe injuries and prevent neck, brain, or jaw injuries.
• Saves Money: You might need severe dental restorations, expensive treatment, and long-term medications if your jaw, brain, or neck is damaged in a sports accident. You can save money by investing in a fitted mouthguard.

Final Thoughts

Preventive equipment is essential to enhance your protection against injuries. Whether you are a professional athlete or a local player, you must invest money in your safety. Mouthguards can help you and protect you from serious injuries. You must visit your dentist and explore the right mouthguard more, depending on your budget.

If you do not have enough budget for a custom mouthguard, you must at least use a boil and bite mouthguard for protection. You must visit your dentist every once in a while to get your teeth checked and ensure there are no problematic conditions. Our experts at Elgin Dentist, TX can help you with your concerns and injuries.