Sportsguard
Fort Worth, TX
 At Del Mar Dental, we encourage all athletes to wear mouthguards while playing various sports. If you play a sport, you should know that a mouthguard is an essential part of sports equipment.
Generally, a mouthguard only covers your upper teeth, but in some cases, it covers your lower jaw. For example, if you have braces or other fixed dental equipment on your lower teeth. Our mouthguards are especially useful for contact sports like football, soccer, basketball, hockey, volleyball, and rugby.
Types of Mouthguards
As with all other protective gear, sports mouthguards provide the necessary protection for your gums, teeth, and surrounding oral structures. These mouthguards come in different forms, each differing in quality and price:
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Stock mouthguards: These are U-shaped, pre-formed pieces of vinyl or rubber that the patient holds between their teeth. They are the least inexpensive for a good reason - they’ve got a very poor fit. Therefore, we usually do not recommend them.
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Mouth-formed guards: As with stock mouthguards, these are found at sporting goods stores but are an upgrade in terms of quality. Mouth-formed guards come in two types: the shell-liner and the boil and bite mouthguards.
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Shell-liner mouthguards are made from a resilient liner material and stock tray. You bite into the liner material and wait for it to harden. Unlike a boil and bite mouthguard, you only get one shot at making it fit. A boil and bite mouthguard is made from a recycled polymer material that’s first softened in boiling water, before being molded in the mouth.
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Customized mouthguards: These are certainly the best mouthguards among all options. Our dentist will take impressions of your mouth to make you a personalized mouthguard that fits properly and comfortably.
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Quality sports mouthguards are fairly inexpensive and may help prevent injury as well as the need for expensive dental restoration treatments. Of course, the better the quality of your mouthguard, the stronger it’ll be and the less the risk of suffering injury. However, the biggest of all risks is not to wear a mouthguard while playing sports. |
Who Should Wear Sports Mouthguards?
Pro athletes who play soccer, football, basketball, ice hockey or any other sport that carries a greater risk of dental injury should wear a mouthguard. Mouthguards are essential for rugby players.
Adults and children who play any of the sports above or participate in other high-risk activities that may cause injury, like skateboarding should also wear mouthguards.
Whether you have braces or not, it’s imperative to protect your smile. Some of the most common sports-related injuries are those to the jaw and mouth.
For more information about our sports mouthguards, please contact Del Mar Dental at (817) 710-2609 today. We’ll do all we can to answer all of your questions. |
