Sport and active living is a part of any healthy lifestyle. However, sporting accidents are one of the most common causes of dental trauma and injury. So what can be done to prevent this?
A custom fitted protective sports mouthguard!
Research shows that custom fitted dental mouthguards have been found to be significantly more protective than store bought stock mouthguards [1].
Teeth, jaws, lips and gums can all be susceptible to damage when playing sport. A custom fitted mouthguard can lessen the impact of this damage, and prevent severe injury or trauma. In repairing these severe injuries, the cost and time of rehabilitation far outweighs the cost of making and wearing a sports mouthguard [2].
Importantly, when training or playing in games, a mouthguard should always be worn when there is any risk of contact to the face, not just contact sports.
Accidents will always happen, but by wearing a custom fitted sports mouthguard, you can prevent the severity of the damage done to yourself or loved ones.
Please feel free to discuss this with our health professionals at your next visit!
Reference:
[1] Tuna EB & Ozel E, Factors affecting sports-related orofacial injuries and the importance of mouthguards, Sports Med 2014 Jun; 44(6): 777-83.
[2] Mouthguard use and Awareness of Junior Rugby League Players in the Gold Coast, Australia: A Need for More Education, Kroon J et al, Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine 2015, April 2.