Your Athlete Needs a Sports Mouthguard

Sports are on the rise, and nearly 40 percent of all dental injuries (more than 5 million teeth) are sports-related, according to the National Youth Sports Foundation for Safety. Mouthguards aren’t often a requirement when playing sports, but, according to the same statistics, athletes who do not wear mouthguards are more than 60 times as likely to damage their teeth and gums.

Mouthguard Recommendations: https://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/position-statement-and-recommendations-for-mouthguard-use-in-sports

Damage Can Last a Lifetime

Damage to the teeth during a sports-related injury can cause harm that will last a lifetime. When focusing on making the perfect goal, perfect tackle, or perfect attack block, don’t worry about losing a few teeth in the process. Mouthguards can help take that concern away and provide major added protection to any athlete. You should consider wearing a mouthguard when playing the following sports:

Basketball, boxing, surfing, volleyball, water polo, weightlifting, acrobats, handball, football, gymnastics, skateboarding, skiing, wrestling, squash, soccer, racquetball, martial arts, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, skydiving, field hockey, roller jockey, rugby, shot putting, and baseball and softball infielders.

Common sports-related dental injuries include:

Tooth fractures – broken or chipped teeth.
Avulsions – entire tooth, including the root is knocked out.
Luxations – the tooth is in the socket still, but in the wrong position.

More on Mouthguards: https://www.ada.org/en/member-center/oral-health-topics/mouthguards

Read more about Dental Emergencies and how Premier Dental treats their emergency patients in this article: Is Emergency Dental Care Available in Lee’s Summit?

Mouthguard Types and Further Advantages

While buying a mouthguard may not be ideal, it’s much lower than the costs of paying for any sports-related injury down the line. Plus, you’ll receive piece of mind as a parent or as a player – priceless. The three common types of mouthguards are:

Custom-made mouthguards made by a dentist – your dentist will take your impressions and make a custom mouthguard to fit the specifications and fit comfortably (highly recommended).
Boil and bite mouthguards – placed in hot water to loosen and then molded around your teeth for a better fit, but not as protective and form-fitting as custom made.
Ready-made/stock mouthguards – these come ready to wear and are not adjustable, often resulting in a choking hazard (not recommended).

Mouthguard Variations and Their Advantages: https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/mouth-guards

At Premier Dental, we can make custom sport mouthguards to fit any athlete’s mouth and protect them from dental damage. We also offer our mouthguards in a variety of colors and can match any team color!

Dr. Stephan Caye and his friendly, experienced team at Premier Dental offer affordable family dentistry and gentle dental care in the Lee’s Summit, MO area. Our office is conveniently located off of Highway 50 and SE Blue Parkway. We offer appointment times Monday through Friday to meet your needs. At Premier Dental, we provide most dental health services, from family and general dentistry to specialty procedures, including dental implants, dentures, endodontic or root canal treatment, teeth whitening, cosmetic dentistry, emergency dental care and much more. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Please call us at (816) 600-6330 to schedule an appointment.