The Importance of Wearing Mouthguards

With the spring/summer sports season underway, we wanted to remind our patients about the importance of wearing a mouth guard while you’re on the court or the field. Here are some frequent questions we hear from our patients about mouth guards.

Q: What are mouth guards?

A: Mouth guards are a flexible, removable device made of soft plastic, and are adapted to fit comfortably to the shape of the upper teeth.

Q: Why are mouth guards so important?

A: Mouth guards protect not just the teeth, but the lips, cheeks, and tongue, and help protect athletes from head and neck injuries, as well as concussions and jaw fractures. Increasingly, organized sports are requiring mouth guards to prevent injury to their athletes and research shows us that most oral injuries occur when athletes are not wearing mouth protection.

Q: When should I wear my mouth guard?

A: Whenever you are in an activity with a risk of falls or of head contact with other players or equipment. This includes football, baseball, basketball, soccer, wrestling, hockey, and even gymnastics.

Q: How do I choose a mouth guard that is right for me?

A: We encourage you to choose a mouth guard that you can wear comfortably. You can select from several options in mouth guards. First, preformed or “boil-to-fit” mouth guards are found in sports stores. Otherwise, we can talk about your options for a custom mouthguard, which will be more comfortable to wear, and more effective in preventing injuries this summer. Please give us a call if you have any other questions or ask us on Facebook!