Mouthguards

Why do you need to wear a mouth guard? At a younger age, games like  boxing, rugby, and hockey can be contact free or involve minimal contact. As the games become more competitive, more contact can be involved and the chances of getting a tooth knocked out can increase.  This is usually when you reach your mid-teenage years, when the game becomes faster, and individuals become stronger.  Most dentists agree that a custom made mouth guard protects you from much more than just a knocked out tooth. A good mouth guard will also help to protect your jaw and other areas of your face, as it can minimise the impact of collisions. Sometimes, even if you do lose a tooth, your mouth guard could have helped to avoid even worse damage being sustained.  Many children growing up do not realise how important a mouth guard is. However, if you do lose your teeth in a sporting accident, they are not going to grow back. So protecting your teeth should be a priority.  One of the decisions that many parents face is what sort of a mouth guard to choose for their child as they are growing up. There are three different types of mouth guard available.

Standard Shaped Mouthguard

The first is a standard-shaped mouth guard that is simply bought over the counter at places such as sports shops.  However, as this is cheap -it can be ill-fitting and uncomfortable, as it is not shaped to suit the individual’s bite.

Standard Mouth Guard Moulded

The second option is also widely available in sports shops. It is a standard mouth guard which can be boiled and then bitten into, so that it moulds to the shape of your mouth. It is more comfortable to wear than the first option. However, many experts still view it as providing less than ideal protection.

Custom Made Mouthguard

Finally, the best option – is a mouth guard that is fitted by your dentist. It may be more expensive than the previous two options, however it is the best option.   Your dentist will take an exact moulding of your mouth to determine the shape of your bite and then send this moulding to a laboratory. This will produce an accurate mouth guard made from high quality materials, which can give you the protection and comfort you need to enjoy playing sport. So which should you choose? For many parents, the best solution is to choose a cheaper option when their children are younger. At this stage, contact in their chosen sport may be less aggressive. As children grow and their teeth grow, they will usually need to be fitted for a new mouth guard regularly. Therefore, provided that they stay interested in the sport, you can upgrade to an individually fitted mouth guard when they are slightly older and it will last longer.  This will be an investment - especially as mouthguards protect teeth.  Provided that you look after your mouth guard, it should look after you. Make sure during routine check-ups at your dentist, you take your mouth guard along so that you dentist can check whether it still fits adequately and performs the way it should.