When it comes to participating in contact sports, a mouthguard is an essential piece of gear that will help you protect your teeth. Failing to do so could result in painful injuries that will require weeks of procedures and months of recovery. Losing a tooth suddenly during an impact sport is incredibly painful, and restoring your oral health could involve many complex procedures. So in order to protect yourself, it’s important to consider using athletic mouthguards.
What Is a Mouthguard?
Mouthguards are custom oral devices that are worn over your teeth during athletic activities. In most cases, a mouthguard is worn during any kind of contact sport where there’s a chance that your teeth could be damaged. It’s no different to wearing a helmet when you’re riding a bike or shin guards for soccer–it’s to protect your fragile teeth that could be in danger of damage during a contact sport.
Unfortunately, there’s a common misconception that all mouthguards are suitable for contact sports. This isn’t true, as athletic mouthguards should be custom-made to best suit the user. You can think of it much like buying a helmet; everyone’s head is a different size, so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, you need to carefully pick a solution that perfectly fits your mouth in order to provide the best protection.
This is where a custom athletic mouthguard can come in handy. It’s a fantastic solution for anyone that is invested in their sport and doesn’t want to risk the chance of damaging their teeth during an accident.
Why You Shouldn’t Rely on Store-Bought Mouthguards
Many people resort to buying athletic mouthguards from a store. Many sports stores sell mouthguards in different sizes, and while they can offer some basic protection, they’re ultimately not the most comfortable mouthguards and aren’t designed for long-term use. These store-bought mouthguards might lack features that make them suitable for reuse, and they’re often not made from soft plastics that are capable of suiting your exact teeth line and shape.
The other option is to buy higher-quality mouthguards made from pliable plastics that will mold to your mouth. However, these still don’t provide as much protection as a custom athletic mouthguard but can be a good temporary solution while you wait for a custom pair to be made. We don’t recommend using over-the-counter solutions from a medical store as these aren’t designed for use in contact sports. Instead, they’re night guards that are designed to prevent your teeth from grinding at night. So while they can offer some protection during sports, they’re not designed to withstand heavier impacts.
The Advantages of Custom Athletic Mouthguards
Compared to store-bought mouthguards, a custom athletic mouthguard is better in every way. The materials used for an athletic mouthguard means that it’s far more durable than your average mouthguard from a store. The material is also pliable, meaning that they can adjust to small changes within your mouth. However, they don’t lose their shape like over-the-counter mouthguards. Once it has been customized to your needs, it will never lose its shape but can easily adjust to small changes in your teeth.
In addition, custom athletic mouthguards are made for long-term use. The better material quality, the softer feeling and the long-lasting nature of it mean you won’t need to replace it for many years to come. In fact, the only time you need to replace a custom athletic mouthguard is when it’s physically damaged.
As long as you take good care of your athletic mouthguard by keeping it clean and washing it much like you would your teeth, they can last many years and won’t need replacing unless there are changes in your mouth that change the way your mouthguard fits. You can also bring your mouthguard to dentist appointments to have it checked professionally for any damage.
Getting a Custom Athletic Mouthguard
The best way to get a custom athletic mouthguard is to contact New Dimension Dentistry. Using our state-of-the-art technology, we’re confident that we can provide you with an athletic mouthguard solution that is more affordable in the long run, more durable and ultimately more accurate to your teeth line. This makes it superior in terms of comfort, affordability, and protection compared to store-bought alternatives.
While custom athletic mouthguards do involve a bit more work, scheduling an appointment with us couldn’t be easier. We’ll help explain the procedure to help you better understand the processes involved, and we’ll provide all the support you need to get accustomed to your new mouthguards. Simply contact us today to schedule a consultation, or feel free to ask us any questions if you need assistance.
Why Choose New Dimension Dentistry?
New Dimension Dentistry offers personalized dental care for each and every patient. Our team is led by Dr. Doris Giraldo, an expert in the dental industry with decades of experience in both general dentistry and cosmetic dentistry. No matter what kind of dental service you’re looking for, we’re confident that our team can provide you with high-quality care and procedures to help you achieve your dental health goals.
We focus on providing state-of-the-art dental experiences to all of our patients by utilizing the latest technologies and modern techniques. This allows us to treat a wider range of dental conditions in an efficient manner while drastically reducing recovery times, discomfort and cost. We offer all of our services in a laid-back and friendly dental clinic that helps our patients feel at ease and more comfortable.
Schedule a Consultation Today
If you’re looking for custom athletic mouthguards or would like to learn more about our dental services, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Dr. Giraldo and her team today at New Division Dentistry. We’d be happy to hear from you and are willing to answer any dental concerns or questions that you might have. Simply contact us today to schedule a consultation and let us know about the issues that you’re facing.
