Did you know that about a third of trauma injuries are dental-related? In fact, each year up to 600,000 emergency visits are from dental injuries experienced while playing sports. Broken or chipped teeth, damage to soft tissue, loss of teeth and jaw fractures are among the types of injuries athletes can suffer during an impact. Due to this, the Australian Dental Association (ADA) urges all athletes, whether playing contact sport or not, to wear a mouthguard at all times.
How Can a Mouthguard Protect You?
- During a collision, your mouthguard will help to absorb the shock from the impact and support your jaw, reducing the amount of force on your teeth, jaw and skull.
- It acts as a cushion if the opposing teeth contact each other harshly
- .A mouthguard will offer protection to the gums and soft tissue, preventing lacerations for those with orthodontic hardware.
While any mouthguard is better than none, a custom-made mouthguard will offer the best protection against sports-related dental injuries. The custom fit, which sits snuggly against your gums and teeth, helps to secure the mouthguard in place and prevent it from dislodging upon impact. Custom-made mouthguards are also articulated, which means they allow your lower teeth to sit comfortably in place against the mouthguard. This feature evenly distributes force between your upper and lower teeth, reducing risk of injury to your jaw. Custom mouthguards offer this protection without hindering your ability to breathe and speak during sports.
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