Understanding Sports Mouthguards

In all sports that involve collision or impact to your body, there is a likelihood that you may get hit around your mouth area. Wearing a mouthguard may not protect you from getting hit, but it will lower the chances of getting severe mouth injuries. Some of these injuries that can be averted include knocked-out teeth, cut lips and damaged, chipped or cracked teeth.

Choosing The Right Mouthguard

You will have different choices when it comes to sports mouthguards. There are those mouthguards you can obtain over the counter. These may be available as stock or ready-made and boil-and-bite or self-adapting mouthguards.

Stock or ready-made mouthguards are made from ethylene, vinyl or polyurethane. They are available in different sizes and are cheap. You may find that they are not that comfortable and may be forced to hold them in place by clenching your teeth.

Boil-and-bite/self-adapting/mouth or vacuum-formed mouthguards are made from vinyl. What you do is you heat them in water and place them in your mouth. The mouthguard will adapt to your teeth once you bite down — hence their name. They are cheap as well and preferred to ready-made mouthguards.

There are other mouthguards that cannot be found over the counter. Your dentist will have to make them for you — hence why they're called custom-made/custom-fitted mouthguards. These, of course, will be more comfortable but will fetch a higher price. The good thing about custom-made mouthguards is that they will fit you perfectly and will be customised based on the sport you are playing. Additionally, extra padding can be added, and it can be customised to allow comfortable speech and breathing. When this is achieved, you will not need to remove the mouthguard during breaks.

When Should You Wear Your Mouthguard?

Always wear your mouthguard when playing. You never know when an accident can occur. Also, don't assume because you are training an accident can't occur. Have the mouthguard on during training as well.

Cleaning and Maintenance

After using your mouthguard, you will need to clean it. Use some warm water, not hot. You can also use some soap and then rinse. Dry it and place it in a mouthguard case. Do not place it in hot conditions as this may cause distortion.

If you notice stains or an odour, visit a chemist and get a denture cleaning solution. Better yet, before doing this, it may be safer to contact your dentist first to get the best remedy.

With this information, you will be able to make informed decisions on mouthguards.