This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Sports Mouthguards: Customized for Each Sport

Does your child participate in youth sports? If so, their oral health is at risk without the use of a mouthguard! According to the American Dental Association, 10-20% of all sports related injuries are maxillofacial injuries.

The advantages of using a mouthguard during sports are tremendous.  Mouthguards are essential for both contact and non-contact sports. They can reduce the risk of injuries to your teeth, lips, tongue, and soft tissues of your mouth. Usually these injuries will result in permanent damage to oral structures. Mouthguards can prevent nerve damage to a tooth, and even tooth loss! It is also important to remember that infection and damage to primary teeth can indeed impact permanent teeth!

Here are some different kinds of custom mouthguards for your child’s sport:

Find out what's happening in Wellesleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Football:

Football is a high impact sport that needs a mouthguard that supports the mouth and jaws from tackles.

Find out what's happening in Wellesleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • Gel max- contains a high impact shock absorption and is customized to fit each individual.
  • GAMEguard Plus-a Boil-n-Bite?style for heavy contact sports. Includes  padded cushion for additional protection.

Baseball and Softball:

A bad fall or catch could result in serious dental injuries, and can easily be prevented with a light protective mouthguard.

  • Nano 3D- a small and light weight mouthguard that makes speaking and breathing easy. Has a high impact shock absorption and customized gel fit.

Hockey:

The sport of hockey  can involve swinging sticks and human collisions that can lead to several oral injuries.

  • BIOguard III-this custom fit mouthguard specifically protects the jaw, and has three layers of padded protection?.

Wrestling and Boxing:

Mouthguards are essential for these high impact sports. Sturdy mouthguards with a thick lining are beneficial for wrestling and boxing.

  • CustomSSD Plus-protects the jaw with additional layers and is particularly good for heavy contact sports.

Basketball:

Even though basketball is considered a non-contact sport, it can be a physically aggressive sport. When playing defense, an elbow or arm can accidentally cause a serious injury to the face and mouth.

  • Nano 3D

Karate/Martial Arts:

Protect the mouth from a kick to the head or face when battling opponents.

  • PEPguard- helps prevent the clenching of teeth and is optimal for protection of the jaw during training and games.

Lacrosse:

Much like hockey, a flying stick or a elbow to the face is not uncommon when playing lacrosse.

  • Ultra 2 STC-provides comfort and easy speaking ability. Has a high impact shock absorption and a customized gel fit.

Soccer:

A ball or knee to the face can negatively impact your child's oral health. Having the right mouthguard is essential for top performance!

  •  SAFEguard-contains a single layer of cushion about  2mm ?wide.

Without the protection of a mouthguard your child is at risk of several dental injuries:

  • Root Fractures: Also classified as a chipped tooth. Tooth fragments can be preserved in milk and should be taken immediately to the dentist.
  • Avulsion: The entire tooth is knocked out, including the root.
  • Luxation: The tooth is displaced within the gums. The tooth could be pushed back or pulled forward due to trauma.

Feel free to contact Drs. Ali & Ali and the caring team at Wellesley Dental Group if you have any thoughts or concerns; they will be happy to answer your questions! Contact us today at 781-237-9071 or smile@wellesleydentalgroup.com to set up an appointment and consultation.

Your little ones and teens are welcome to visit our pediatric dentist Dr. Kim or Dr.PradhanDr. Emad is happy to help with your orthodontic needs. For wisdom teeth extractions or any other oral surgery needs Dr. Ghazi would be more than willing to help.

References:

http://www.sportsguard.com/mouthguards/basketball-mouthguards.htm

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?