Mouthguards

What types of dental mouthguards exist?

There are three types of mouth guards:

• Stock mouth protectors that come ready to wear. These are inexpensive and can be bought at most sporting goods stores. However, you cannot adjust their fit, and they tend to be bulky, making breathing and speaking difficult, and they offer limited protection.
• Boil and bite mouth protectors can also be bought at most sporting goods stores and offer a better fit than stock mouth protectors. This type of mouth guard is placed in hot water to soften and then placed in the mouth to shape around the teeth. The same issues that affect stock mouth protectors carry over to boil and bite mouthguard.
• Custom-fitted mouth guards are designed individually and made in the dental office based on your dentist’s instructions. Your dentists will first make an impression on your teeth and then mold the mouth guard over the model. This type of mouth guard provides the most protection and comfort. With professional oversight, your dentist can also ensure that your mouth guard will not harm your teeth or negatively affect your bite.

Why are mouthguards important for athletes?

There are many reasons why wearing a mouthguard when playing sports is important. First, mouth guards protect against displacing teeth as they help distribute force over all of your teeth, which prevents one or two teeth from taking all the force of an impact. They can also protect against injuries to soft tissue such as your tongue and gums and prevent jaw and tooth fractures. Ultimately, mouthguards may help prevent concussions as the padding could lessen the force between the upper and lower rows of teeth and lessen the force of the jaw as it pushes on the skull.