Wearing a Mouthguard While Playing Sports can Save Your Smile

As a cosmetic dentist in Powell, Dr. Williams understands just how common oral injuries are that threaten a patient’s long-term oral health. Roughly 80 percent of dental injuries impact the health of one or more of an individual’s front teeth and may even cause damage to the soft tissue – the lips, tongue, inner cheeks – as well.

In young kids, learning to walk often causes injuries to baby teeth. While losing baby teeth a little early may not seem like a big deal – after all, baby teeth eventually fall out – the premature loss of baby teeth can actually impact the development of a child’s permanent teeth.

Baby teeth act like space holders that occupy space while permanent teeth develop below. When a child prematurely loses baby teeth, neighboring teeth will begin to shift into the now vacant spot in a child’s smile. As teeth shift, permanent teeth no longer have the space needed to properly emerge from the gum line. This can cause a child’s permanent teeth to form crooked, crowded, or misaligned.

A child who loses their baby teeth at an early age are far more likely to need braces or to develop eating and speaking problems that may require therapy to correct.

In adolescents and adults, sports injuries rank as the primary cause of oral injuries to the teeth and mouth. In fact, as many as 40 percent of oral injuries to adults and older adolescents occur while playing sports.

The danger oral injury represents is why your cosmetic dentist in Powell always recommends that athletes of every age where a custom-made mouthguard.

The Advantages of Wearing a Mouthguard

Whether you have a child who participates in extracurricular sports or if you play pickup games at the local park, anyone who plays sports needs to wear a protective mouthguard.

Wearing a mouthguard offers a number of advantages when it comes to protecting the long-term health of your teeth and gums that include:

• A mouthguard helps to minimize the damage caused by a blow to the face, thereby reducing the risk for experiencing a chipped, cracked, or knocked out tooth.
• Studies have shown that wearing a mouthguard successfully reduces the risk of concussion because they help absorb the shock caused by a direct blow to the jaw.
• A mouthguard provides protection to the tongue, lips, and cheeks.
• For patients who wear braces, a mouthguard can help to prevent damage to brackets and wires, while also serving as a barrier between the braces and the cheeks, lips, or gums.
• Repairing dental damage caused by oral trauma is far more expensive than getting a custom mouthguard.

By wearing a mouthguard, you can significantly lower your risk for experiencing the type of oral trauma that can permanently alter the appearance and function of your smile.

Advantages of a Custom Mouthguard

Unlike boil and bit mouth guards that can be purchased at sporting goods stores, a mouthguard custom made by Dr. Williams offers additional protection and comfort.

With a custom mouthguard, Dr. Williams will take a mold a patient’s teeth that will be sent off to a lab where your custom mouthguard is crafted using the most durable materials possible. By having your mouthguard fabricated from a mold, any unique anatomical features of the shape or position of your teeth are fully accounted for, enabling an even distribution and improved comfort.

A custom-made mouthguard also provides additional stability and support when compared to those available over-the-counter. Injuries to teeth and gums are less likely to occur when a mouthguard remains firmly in place, instead of sliding around due to an inexact fit. A more comfortable mouthguard also means you can stay focus on the game at hand, rather than being distracted by an ill-fitting oral appliance.

Don’t take a chance with the long-term health of your smile. Contact your Dr. Williams, cosmetic dentist in Powell, today to schedule a custom-made mouthguard consultation, and start playing at the top of your game.