How Do Mouthguards Work to Protect Teeth & Gums from Injury?

Believe it or not, sports and leisure activities are the leading causes of dental injuries, but if you know how do mouthguards work, you’ll also know that these dental injuries are avoidable. Custom mouthguards can provide an important layer of protection for the teeth, tongue and soft tissue and even if your child’s sports league doesn’t mandate them to wear one, it’s good practice to get into the habit of it. Let’s take a look at how do mouthguards work and why it’s so important to protect yourself against dental injury.

 

Why Are Mouthguards So Important?

Custom mouthguards form a protective layer that absorbs impact and minimises injury when playing sport. According to the Better Health Channel, dental injuries are most common among people under the age of 25. People who wear orthodontics and those who have protruding front teeth are at greater risk of dental injury. People who play high impact or contact sports, as well as non-contact sports that make use of heavy gear, may be more susceptible to dental injuries.

Dental injuries are expensive to treat and may require some downtime to recover from. They are also disruptive to schooling when children are affected by dental injuries, and serious injuries can be disfiguring.

People who suffer from sleep apnoea symptoms and snoring, and those who grind their teeth at night, would also benefit from having their jaws separated by a mouthguard.

 

How Do Mouthguards Work?

Custom mouthguards cushion your jaws from one another and separate them. A custom-fit means the mouthguard offers maximum protection and comfort, and will not slip or move around in your mouth, which is ideal for patients who have bruxism. The mouthguard is fitted over the front of your teeth, which provides protection from an outside force, which is ideal for sport.

While it is possible to buy them off the shelf, they have been built to a standard and will not offer the same level of protection.

 

What To Expect If You’re Having Custom Mouthguards Created 

your dentist will create an impression of your mouth and build the mouthguard around it to get the best possible fit. While this approach is a bit more expensive than buying something off the shelf, your private health insurance may cover the cost, depending on your plan and your level of cover. 

A good mouthguard should

• Fit snugly into your mouth
• Be comfortable
• Not affect your ability to speak
• Be tasteless, odourless and not make you want to gag
• Have a minimum thickness of 4mm to prevent injury from impact

 

What Types Of Injuries Can A Custom Mouthguard Prevent?

The most common types of dental injuries that can be avoided by wearing well-fitting, custom mouthguards include

• Cut tongue
• Cut cheeks
• Broken or chipped teeth
• Knocked-out teeth
• A broken jaw
• TMJ pain can be reduced

The cost of a mouthguard is significantly lower than the cost of treating a dental injury. If you want to know more about how do mouthguards work, it’s time to speak to a professional.

Please contact us for a convenient appointment:

Buderim: (07) 5317 1023
Caloundra: (07) 5315 8076