If you or your child play contact sports like soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, skateboarding, martial arts, hockey, or lacrosse you require a mouthguard whether you have braces or not. Mouthguards help protect you or your child from sports injuries and chipped or cracked teeth. The American Dental Association estimates that sports mouthguards can prevent over 200,000 injuries. This year alone, it is estimated that more than 5 million teeth will be knocked out due to sports.

BENEFITS OF SPORTS MOUTHGUARDS

Patients receive many benefits from wearing a mouthguard during contact sports. Mouthguards provide:

• A secure and stable fit
• Protection from tooth loss
• A reduced chance of concussion
• Protection of dental work from damage

IT PROTECTS YOUR TEETH FROM SUFFERING TRAUMA

Should you suffer blows to your face, a sports mouth guard can effectively absorb some of the force. This reduces your chances of getting a tooth broken or knocked out.

IT PROTECTS YOUR BRAIN

If you engage in contact sports, you’re prone to suffering concussions that lead to potential brain injuries. One of the lesser-known benefits of wearing a sports mouth guard is that the device absorbs much of the shock that comes from a direct blow to your jaw. Since it softens the impact, it plays a critical role in protecting your brain.

IT PROTECTS YOUR SOFT TISSUES

Athletes or highly active people tend to experience soft tissue injuries

IT PROTECTS YOUR BRACES

If you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment while you’re engaging in any sport, you should consider using a sports mouth guard. Aside from preventing damage to your braces, the protective device also prevents your braces from causing you injury.

while they’re giving it their all. Wearing a sports mouth guard ensures your soft tissues’ safety, such as your lips, inner cheeks, tongue, and gums. It keeps your teeth from splitting them open or chomping down on them.

When your mouth is hit, it must absorb the shock of the impact. Unlike other parts of your body, such as your torso, arms, and legs, the surface area of contact where the blow lands is less. Your mouth is unable to absorb the majority of the shock, increasing the potential for concussion and brain injuries. A mouthguard can reduce the risk of brain injuries by helping to absorb the shock.

The inner areas of the mouth, such as the inside of your lips, tongue, and inner lining of your cheeks are incredibly soft and will not brace against the impact well. Wearing a mouthguard will protect these areas from unintentional cuts sustained from your teeth.

A mouthguard is a relatively inexpensive device to purchase, providing long-term cost savings when it comes to dental injuries. Any type of dental injury can be expensive to repair depending on the damage incurred, and may require multiple visits to the dentist. A mouthguard can minimize these dental injuries or prevent them.

When wearing a mouthguard, you reduce the risk of fractures and bone damage to both the lower jaw and the neck. Mouthguards are used as a preventative measure against more serious injuries.