Playing sports can increase your risk of incidents, including the potential of sustaining oral injuries. If you enjoy playing contact sports, wearing protection over your smile may be ideal for preventing injuries resulting in cracked or broken teeth. These incidents may damage your oral health, be scary, and require an emergency visit to our dentist near you. A sports guard will preserve your smile from significant damage.
Here are a Few Things You Should Know About Sports Guards and Why They are Beneficial:
1) They will protect your teeth
Asking our West Edmonton dentist about mouthguards is a great first step to properly protecting your teeth. Many children, adolescents, and adults can benefit from sports guards. Playing sports is a highly enjoyable activity that can easily turn sour if a patient experiences an injury that requires an emergency dental visit.
2) Mouthguards will fit over braces
Our dentist will be able to design a custom-made guard for your smile by using pictures and moulds of your teeth. Suppose you have braces or are in the middle of another orthodontic treatment. In that case, a mouthguard may also be greatly beneficial to avoid injuries that will interfere with the effectiveness and length of your treatment.
3) You only need a mouth guard for the top teeth
Custom-made mouthguards will not be bulky and should be very comfortable to wear. They are commonly designed for your upper teeth unless you have ongoing orthodontic treatment and appliances. However, you can receive a mouth guard covering your upper and lower teeth; talk to our dentist to learn more.
4) Your mouthguard will need proper cleaning
It would help if you rinsed and dried your mouthguard after every use and before wearing it. Not properly cleaning the guard will allow bacteria to flourish. Gently scrub it with a soft-bristled toothbrush and rinse it under cold water only to clean it correctly. Once cleaning is done, store the mouthguard in a dry and ventilated container.
In addition, patients will need to follow a good hygiene routine to ensure no plaque and tartar that may have amalgamated on their smile is transferred over to the mouthguard. Brush your teeth twice a day and floss regularly to ensure you remove all debris from your smile.
5) Replace your mouthguard
After getting a sports guard in West Edmonton, patients should take good care of it to ensure their durability. Unfortunately, your dental mouth guard will not last forever and may become worn down after a few months. Once the guard shows signs of any tear, contact our dentist for a replacement. In addition, the mouthguard may need to be replaced if it slides around in your mouth and begins to feel uncomfortable.
6) Over-the-counter mouth guards aren’t the best
Over-the-counter options may sound ideal if you are looking for an affordable option. However, they can be uncomfortable, shift around, and won’t offer the same degree of protection that professional guards do.
Pre-made guards are prone to sliding out of place while speaking and then receiving trauma. Options such as boil-and-bite may seem better but are still not ideal.
7) Mouthguards can be helpful even if you do not play contact sports
Many dental emergencies may not happen during contact sports but when you’re engaging in other activities. It would help if you planned to wear a dental guard to protect your smile during any activity that could cause an oral injury. Many patients could experience incidents if they fall or get hit by different equipment and opposing players.
Sports Guards at Westside Family Dental
If you keep searching Google for “sports guard near me” and haven’t found a quality dental clinic near you that offers mouthguard services, search no further! We are here to help. Our staff is dedicated to helping patients care for their oral health, and we will be happy to assist you. Contact Westside Family Dental today to book an appointment and get your first guards.