The Benefits of Proper Sports Mouth Guards
The Benefits of Proper Sports Mouth Guards
By The Wave Agency
Contact sports often require mouth guards for the benefit of the players. However, many players, especially at middle and high school-level sports, are not reaping the benefits of a well-fitted mouth guard. Mouth guards are meant to allow players' teeth to remain safe in the case of accidents when playing. The quality of many mouth guards, however, is lacking, as players and parents may be unaware of best practices when it comes to mouth guards.
Dr. Kilimitzoglou of e.s.i. Healthy Dentistry had this to say on the topic of mouth guards and his own experiences with his children, “Mouth guards are mandatory in the league and their first ones were store bought, boil and bite. They were not well adapted on the teeth and gums, they made them gag and the only way to keep them in was to constantly bite on them.”
Athletic mouth guards of any kind are better than nothing and may prevent injuries, but the “boil and bite '' style mouth guards often cause discomfort after long-term use. There is a much more clear benefit to custom-made mouth guards with professional supervision. Custom mouth guards fit perfectly within the mouth without additional pain to an athlete’s jaw.
“When trying to customize a boil and bite guard, we don’t bite down evenly and one area is always thinner than the other,” writes Dr. K. “The thinner part will not provide adequate protection and the cusps of those teeth are more prone to fracturing.”
Prominent research from the Academy of General Dentistry in 2014 explains that those who use store-bought mouth guards are at nearly double the risk of brain injury than those with custom mouth guards. This research may be alarming to those who believed store-bought mouth guards to be all that was necessary for jaw and concussion prevention. Throughout the country it is becoming more common to utilize one’s dentist, such as the experts at e.s.i. Healthy Dentistry, in order to best prepare young athletes with mouth guards that work for them.
The benefits of a uniform thickness custom-made for an individual’s set of teeth should not be ignored. “With literally hundreds of different styles, colors and designs, the possibilities of decorating and customizing these important pieces of protective equipment are endless … So, play hard, play safe, and PLAY BALL!”
For all of your dental needs, e.s.i. Healthy Dentistry is here for you. Schedule an appointment today!
