The importance of wearing a mouthguard

With winter sports underway, we wanted to remind our patients about the importance of wearing a mouthguard while you’re on the court or the field. Here are some frequent questions we hear from our patients about mouthguards.

Q: What are mouthguards?

A: Mouthguards are a flexible, removable device made of soft plastic, and they are adapted to fit comfortably with the shape of the upper teeth.

Q: Why are mouthguards so important?

A: Mouthguards protect not just the teeth, but the lips, cheeks, and tongue, and they also help protect athletes from head and neck injuries, as well as concussions and jaw fractures. Increasingly, organized sports are requiring mouthguards to prevent injury to their athletes, and research shows us that most oral injuries occur when athletes are not wearing mouth protection.  Full-face shield helmets definitely help to protect the players from direct-contact injuries, but without a mouthguard, one is still at-risk for a concussion or other type of head injury.

Q: When should I wear my mouthguard?

A: Whenever you are in an activity with a risk of falls or head contact with other players or equipment. This includes hockey, football, baseball, basketball, soccer, wrestling, and even gymnastics.

Q: How do I choose a mouthguard that is right for me?

A: We encourage you to choose a mouth guard that you can wear comfortably, with or without your braces. You can select from several options in mouthguards. First, pre-formed or “boil-to-fit” mouthguards are found in sports stores.  There are even special mouthguards made for athletes with braces.  Otherwise, we can talk about your options for a custom mouthguard, which will be more comfortable to wear and more effective in preventing injuries this winter. Please give us a call if you have any other questions, or ask us on Facebook!