Mouthguards can save you from a lot of sports-related dental injuries. But its effectiveness depends on what kind of mouthguard you are using. Not all mouthguards offer the same level of protection to your teeth and jaw. Suppose you play a sport with a greater risk of facial injuries. In that case, we recommend you set your appointment with Cypress Dentistry for a custom mouthguard.
Read along to learn about different kinds of mouthguards and which type offers the best protection.
Why is wearing a mouth guard important?
As confirmed by the American Dental Association (ADA), more than 25% of dental emergencies are due to injuries during sports. Unprotected teeth around high-speed objects and spirited players are often troublesome. That’s why wearing a mouthguard is so important to keep your teeth protected from impact. And this doesn’t depend on your level of expertise in a particular sport.
Which sports players should wear mouth guards?
If you are a player of contact sports, you require mouthguards to prevent knock-out teeth, loose teeth, or other dental injuries. These sports are football, boxing, and hockey. But we advise you to wear a mouthguard if you play soccer, basketball, wrestling, volleyball, and gymnastics.
How do mouth guards protect our teeth?
You should wear a mouthguard on your upper teeth while playing sports. Mouthguards work like a protective layer between the point of contact and your teeth. This way, when you get hit by something on your teeth, your teeth will remain protected. However, a mouthguard should withstand enough force and resist impacts while not creating difficulty in breathing or talking.
What are the different types of mouth guards?
There are three types of mouth guards: stock mouthguards, boil & bite mouthguards, and custom mouthguards. They all provide a different level of protection, depending on a person’s requirement.
Stock mouthguards, the least expensive of them all, are of one size. And because of that, they’re often not very comfortable to wear. They also don’t provide much protection.
Bite & boil mouthguards are slightly better than stock ones in terms of durability and comfort. They are made of a thermoplastic material that gets softened when you place them in boiling water. Once they soften, players wear by biting into them.
Custom mouthguards, on the other hand, are the best type. This is because they offer a superior level of protection while being most durable and comfortable. However, you can only have them from your dentist. These mouthguards are custom-made, which means your dentist will have to take your teeth’ impressions and design a mouthguard that perfectly fits you. So, for the best protection and longevity, dentists recommend you get a custom mouthguard.
Which type of mouth guards offers the best protection?
As said earlier, custom mouthguards provide the best protection since they’re designed for your unique needs and teeth structure. However, with the superior level of protection, they’re generally the most expensive ones too. If you’re worried about their price, restoring broken teeth is far costlier than getting superior protection.
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