Get your athletes ready for spring and summer sports! One essential piece of equipment for many sports is a custom-fit sports mouthguard. It will help protect against injury to the face and teeth, as well as lessening the severity of concussion. At Horizon Dental, we can customize your mouthguard with your name, team colours, and logo!
Spring in Kamloops means that it’s time to get outside and play! Registration is open for soccer, football, lacrosse, and more! So, while you’re gathering all the necessary equipment, I suggest you also talk to your dentist about a custom-fit sports mouthguard.
A mouthguard is a made of a soft plastic material and is fitting around the top teeth. It is essential for preventing injury to the teeth, tongue, lips, cheeks, and brain while playing many popular sports.
The Canadian Dental Association recommends wearing custom mouthguards for the following sports: acrobatics, basketball, boxing, field hockey, football, gymnastics, handball, ice hockey, lacrosse, martial arts, racquetball, roller hockey, rugby, shot putting, skateboarding, skiing, skydiving, soccer, squash, surfing, volleyball, water polo, weightlifting, and wrestling.
Research shows that an athlete is 60 times more likely to damage his/her teeth when not wearing a protective mouthguard. These painful injuries include broken or cracked teeth, lost teeth, jaw and joint fractures, cuts, and infections.
Recently, we’ve learned that a customized mouthguard can also reduce the severity of concussions, by lessening the force of an impact by stabilizing the jaw and neck. Up to 95% of concussions are transmitted through the lower jaw to the brain.
Facts About Mouthguards
You should replace your mouthguard every 6 months or sooner if it’s worn out.
Mouthguards must be washed after every use to prevent bacterial growth. Simply scrub out the mouthguard with a toothbrush and rinse under cold water before storing in your container.
For many sports, such as hockey, combining a face-shield and mouthguard will provide optimal protection. The cage can deflect sticks, pucks, and elbows, but the mouthguard is also needed to help absorb and disperse any impact to the cage or helmet.
Selecting a Mouthguard
There are three primary types of mouthguards available:
- Ready-made stock. These are inexpensive mouthguards and come in various sizes, but may not fit well and can make it difficult to breath or speak.
- Boil-and-bite. A boil-and-bite mouthguard offers a semi-custom fit and usually ranges between $10 and $25.
- Custom-fit. This is the best option for anyone that participates in any high-impact sport and for kids who wear braces. Because they are custom-made in our dental office, they offer a proper fit and the best protection. It’s also easier to talk around them so you can communicate with your teammates.
We can also customize your sports mouthguard with your name, team colours, logo!
At Horizon Dental, we charge $45 for a custom sports mouthguard. All we need is an impression, or mold, of your teeth. Is gagging a problem? We can do a digital scan instead – no messy impression material required. Click on the video below to see a demonstration of our TRIOS Digital Scanner.
I hope this post got you thinking. If you have any questions or comments I’d love to hear from you. If you like what you see, please share with your friends and follow me on Google +, Facebook, or Instagram!
And if you’re looking for a dentist in Kamloops, we are happily accepting new patients! You can contact us by clicking here!