WHEN PLAYING SPORTS, PROTECT YOUR TEETH WITH A MOUTHGUARD

Athletes wear a lot of protective gear while playing sports. This gear is designed to protect body parts and keep them healthy. One piece of protection that is underutilized is a mouth guard. A mouth guard, or mouthpiece, is a device that you wear over your teeth to shield them from elbows, hits, and other blows to the mouth and head. Mouth guards can be an important device for athletes in all kinds of sports. Here is a list of several sports we recommend a mouth guard for:

• Football
• Basketball
• Hockey (Field and Ice)
• Soccer
• Extreme sports (skateboarding, roller blading, dirt biking, etc.)
• Gymnastics

Your mouth guard is designed to protect against several different injuries. These injuries include chipped teeth, cut lips, biting your tongue, and more. If you have braces or other fixed dental appliances, like a bridge, it is especially recommended that you wear a mouth guard.

Custom Mouth Guards by Dr. Ginn

Dr. Ginn cares about the health and appearance of your smile. Due to this, Dr. Ginn creates comfortable, custom-made mouth guards for both children and adults. This custom mouth guard will be comfortable and should be worn during all athletic events. Wearing your mouth guard will protect you against injuries and trauma sustained during athletic events. After it is manufactured, keep it in a case in your gym bag and make it part of your routine.

Custom-made mouth guards provide many advantages over other kinds of mouth guards.

For starters, these mouth guards are more comfortable for athletes. Due to the increased comfort, athletes are more likely to wear them during a game and keep them in. Additionally, because they are custom-made, they fit your teeth more closely, offering better protection for your teeth and mouth.

According to Dr. Ray Padilla, President of the Academy of Sports Dentistry, the best mouth guard for athletes to use are the ones that are custom-made by their dentist to fit the individual needs of the athlete.

How do you properly care for your mouth guard?

Keeping your mouth guard clean is extremely important. First off, Dr. Ginn recommends storing your mouth guard in a case when you are not wearing it. Secondly, Dr. Ginn suggests rinsing your mouth guard frequently and washing it with soap and water on a regular basis. You should make sure that your mouth guard is dry before putting it in storage.

How long will your mouth guard last?

Ideally, your mouthguard should be replaced after each season. The reason for this is that your mouth guard will have a tendency to wear down over time. After your mouth guard is worn down, it will not provide adequate protection for your mouth. Additionally, for younger athletes, they should have their mouth guards replaced after each season no matter what the condition of the mouth guard is. The reason for this is due to the constant changes occurring in their mouth. Just because a mouth guard fit one season, doesn’t mean it will fit the next. If a young athlete is wearing a mouth guard that does not fit, it is much less protective.

Please note that a mouth guard can also be used to protect your teeth at night from bruxism.

This type of mouth guard is called a night guard. Bruxism, or grinding your teeth, is a condition which causes people to wear down their tooth enamel. After the enamel of your tooth has been worn down, you may suffer from tooth sensitivity, an increase in cavities, or other dental health problems.