Sports Mouth Guards
Sports mouth guards are appliances worn over your teeth to prevent injuries while training or participating in sports that could result in damage to your mouth and teeth. They offer protection against chipped or broken teeth and injuries to gums and lips.
Sports that benefit from the use of mouthguards we recommend are football, rugby, martial arts, boxing, soccer, basketball, squash, hockey, competitive skiing/snowboarding, skateboarding, gymnastics and acrobatics.
Characteristics of a good sports mouth guard:
- Well-fitting and professionally made
- No interference with normal breathing
- Enough space for clear breathing
- Easy to clean
- Made of a durable tear resistant material
Types of sports mouthguards
- Stock mouthguards:
- Stock mouthguards: inexpensive and pre made, they are not very comfortable, not specifically made for your mouth and they can restrict normal breathing due to their bulkiness. They do not offer ideal protection.
- Boil and bite mouth guards:
- Pre-made shape mouth guards usually found in pharmacies and sports stores. They need to be boiled and placed in the mouth while warm to bite on to create a custom fit at home. Their main issue is that any mistake during the at-home fitting process can result in a guard that will not fit correctly hence not protecting your teeth and jaws.
- Custom-made mouth guards:
- Individually designed to fit your mouth and professionally made by a specialist dental laboratory. These are the best and most durable option to protect your teeth. Your dentist will take impressions or digital scans of your teeth during your first appointment and a dental laboratory will fabricate your specific personalised mouthguard. It will be delivered to you at a second appointment during which time it will be checked to confirm a perfect fit and you will receive the cleaning instructions.
