After nearly two years away or interrupted from playing the sports we love,, it’s that time where we are getting geared up to start sporting competitions again. When checking whether those boots, runners and shorts still fit, don’t forget to check the mouthguard!
Only a third of children aged 5-17 years wear a mouthguard([1]) while playing organised sports; and with the unpredictable nature of dental injuries, this can prove to be quite costly for families and painful for kids. These injuries may require an extensive management plan and are expensive to treat. Injuries can range from split lips, cracked or chipped teeth to more extensive injuries such as knocked out teeth and broken jaws.
Read on to understand more about mouthguard options.
A mouthguard is a protective, flexible shield worn in your mouth to prevent dental injuries during contact or collision sports and other activities that may cause impact to your face and mouth areas. The thickness of the mouthguard is determined by the type of sport played and the level of physical contact that is expected.
There are three kinds of mouthguards available to choose from;
It is important to look after your mouthguard keeping it clean from use to use. After using your mouthguard, rinse it with soap and warm water and allow to air-dry. Occasionally use a denture cleaning solution or Miltons solution to disinfect it and store in a container with good ventilation.
In addition to protection from sports injuries, mouthguards can also assist with teeth grinding and snoring. In consultation with a medical practitioner or dentist, a diagnosis of teeth grinding or sleep apnoea could result in a having to wear a special type of mouthguard to assist with the treatment of these issues.
[1] The Importance of a mouthguard when playing sport- https://orthodonticsaustralia.org.au/importance-mouthguard-playing-sport/