Sport a mouthguard, be a sport!

Posted on: November 9, 2010

Want to rough it up with football, rugby, baseball or basketball and still sport a heart-stopping grin?

Or, win that boxing match without getting your teeth bashed in?

Sportsmen today no longer carry their battle scars as trophies. Our scrubbed clean David Beckhams certainly know how to take care of themselves.

Have the best of both worlds with slightly unconventional tactics!

Say Hello to the mouthguard

A mouthguard, often referred to as gumshield, is a protective device for the mouth that covers the teeth and gums. Mouthguards keep both the hard tissues (bone and teeth) and the soft tissues (gingiva, tongue and cheeks) safe.

It is, in fact, just the shield you've been looking for.

Why it works:

• Deflects and deflates blows to the teeth

  Guards are made to absorb direct blows to the teeth and redirect the energy of an impact. They also protect jawbones from fractures by reducing their impact on each other when you bite on something hard.

• Acts as a protective barrier

  A guard can also act as a barrier between the outer part of your mouth (lips and cheek) and your teeth, protecting the soft tissues from lacerations and puncture wounds. This is very useful for players with orthodontic appliances like braces.

Zero in on the guard that would suit you best by understanding what kind of impact we are talking about.

3 main types of mouthguards:

1. Stockguards

   The most inexpensive and easy to acquire.

   They are normally found in sport shops and pharmacies and provide only the most basic protection. They can also be quite uncomfortable to wear since they come in a one-size-fits-all kind of design. Often the unwieldy fit makes it pinch the gingivae and the resulting discomfort distracts the player.

   It's not surprising then that stockguards end up more often in the player's pocket or his sports bag rather than in his mouth.

2. "Boil and fit" guards

   Normally heated up in warm water and then moulded around the teeth

   They offer a much better fit than stock guards. Sometimes though, the guard may become loose and may cause irritation not very different than the stock guard.

3. Custom guards

   The absolute last word in mouthguards

   Obtained through the dental office, they are made by taking impressions of the player's mouth. Then they are shaped in the dental laboratory.

   The fit is very comfortable and precise, and the triple laminate material offers the finest protection of all the guards. You can choose the colour and your very own custom labels.

   Custom guards work really well when the guard fits all the way to the back of the molars instead of just up to the premolars. This is quite unlike generic guards which don't protect the molars when clenching down hard or a blow to the bottom jaw.

   They are also surprisingly easy to breathe through because they stay in place and have extremely sleek profiles.

A mouthguard should be part of your gear, no matter how old you are. So if you participate in contact sport and don't want to break your teeth over it, go get yourself one!

 

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