Sports Guard Fort Wayne IN Mouthguards are common in sports and are often required pieces of equipment. Even if you do not need to wear one to play, you should. Your teeth are strong, but you still need to do your part to protect them. You can get a generic mouthguard from a sporting goods store, but they do not always work the best. The best way to prevent oral injury is by getting a professionally made mouthguard from your dentist at Summit Dental Group.How Mouthguards Protect YouMouthguards are a critical piece of equipment in almost any sport you would play. Even if it is not necessarily a contact sport, such as baseball or basketball, you should still wear a mouthguard. You do not want to get hit in the mouth with a ball or suffer a head injury without having your teeth protected. In fact, according to the American Dental Association, players wearing mouthguards have an 82%-92% less chance of dentofacial (jaws and teeth) injuries. Mouthguards protect you from head injuries as well. Mouthguards help to absorb shock and stabilize your jaw when you experience head trauma. For example, a study of youth ice hockey players showed that mouthguards reduced the risk of concussions by 64%. Custom-made mouthguards, which we provide, are two times more likely to prevent concussion and traumatic brain injury than over-the-counter (OTC) mouthguards. Mouthguards TypesThere are three different types of mouthguards available to you. The least expensive, but also least effective type, is the OTC mouthguard that you can buy from various stores. Another type of mouthguard available at retail stores is the boil and bite mouthguard. These work by softening in and then forming to your teeth and mouth after cooling. Our dental professionals can help finalize the molding. The best type of mouthguard you can get is the custom-molded ones we provide. These are the most form fitting and offer you more protection than other kinds of mouthguards. Custom MouthguardsTo get a custom mouthguard, you would consult with our dental office. We would explain the steps of making one, how to use it, and how to keep it clean. After your consultation, we then take an impression of your mouth. This is done using a U-shaped tray, which is filled with a thick liquid, and then placing this tray on top of your teeth. As this sits on your teeth, the material will harden enough that it holds its shape, though it will still be easy to remove from the mouth. The time it takes for the mold to set will be determined by the exact material being used. We will give you more information at your consultation. Your dentist then sends this mold to our dental lab for processing. The lab fills the impression with a liquid material which then hardens to replicate your teeth. We can then fit a custom mouthguard based on this dental impression. We will give you a more specific timeline, but you can expect the whole process to last a few weeks. To get a custom mouthguard, contact Summit Dental Group today. |
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