Are you a sports guy ? well this is for you .
We all like sports watching it and playing it is one of the most enjoyable experience for most of us , but with the joy there is the risk of injury .
Contact sports carry a significant risk of trauma to the mouth and the teeth which can lead to injury ranging from a simple lip injury to the total loss of multiple teeth .
Not only the martial arts sports but even the less violent sports can have the same risks .
If you take part in sports that carry a significant risk of injury, you should wear a mouth guard.
Accidents can happen during any physical activity ,
A simple unintentional blow while playing , or a fall off a bicycle, can leave you with chipped or broken teeth, nerve damage to a tooth or even tooth loss.
Mouth guards were designed initially for boxers to protect their teeth and lips from the sports trauma , it is designed to cover the upper teeth acting as a cushion reducing the effect of a blow to the face minimizing the risk of broken teeth and injuries to the soft tissues of the mouth.
But now we all know that the trauma to the mouth is not only in boxing rings , it can be in any contact sport.
if you participate in sports such as football, hockey, basketball, baseball, gymnastics and volleyball, you might be grateful for the extra protection one day.
Specially , if you have braces or other orthodontic appliances , you will be at higher risk of getting your lips cut or damaging the appliances , your dentist may recommend a mouth guard to protect your teeth .
There are multiple types of mouth guards that you can get , the main difference between them is the materiel and how they fit your teeth .
The main types are :
Stock: These are inexpensive and come ready to wear. But they often don’t fit very well and they can be bulky making breathing and talking difficult.
Boil and bite: These can also be bought at many sport stores and may fit better than stock mouth protectors. You first soften them in water, then insert them and allow them to adapt to the shape of your mouth , those fit better than the stock ones but they are made of much softer material that doesn't offer the same level of protection and they don't last long.
Custom-fitted: Protectors that are specially made for you by your dentist are more expensive but are likely to fit better than one you buy off the shelf and they are more protective and durable , due to the material that they are made of.
A properly fitted mouth guard will stay in place while you are wearing it properly protecting your teeth and making it easy for you to talk and breathe not affecting your performance in sport.
Choosing to wear the right mouth protector can help you avoid serious long-term damage to your teeth and mouth.
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