Protecting Your Smile: The Importance of Custom Mouthguards for Active Lifestyles
Today most adults recognize that leading a healthy, active lifestyle is a big plus. To stay active, some 150 million adults in the United States get involved in sports or physical recreation every year. And every year, some of those active folks wind up being treated for sports-related dental injuries. Schaefer Dental Group encourages all athletes in Lansing, Michigan to protect their smiles.
Who is apt to suffer this kind of injury? While the rate falls off rapidly after the teen years, adult males are far more likely to be injured playing basketball! The American Dental Association (ADA) has identified baseball, bicycling, handball, skiing, surfing, and many others as activities that are potential causes of dental injury in adults.
Don’t get us wrong: The benefits of physical activity far outweigh the possibility of being hurt. But when serious dental injury occurs, it can result in pain, time taken away from work, and high treatment costs—which often aren’t covered by insurance. The ADA endorses a piece of equipment that could reduce the risk of sports-related dental injury by 60 times: the mouthguard.
An Indispensable Part of Your Sports Gear: The Mouthguard
A high-quality, custom-made mouthguard should be part of every athlete’s equipment. It’s a small protective device that fits over your teeth and absorbs the force of an impact, helping to protect the mouth from damage. There are different kinds of mouthguards available:
Types of Mouthguards
- “Off-the shelf” types: Found in some retailers, these are inexpensive and come in S-M-L sizes. They are generally worn by clenching and are often uncomfortable and of uncertain quality.
- “Boil and bite” guards: This type is softened by heat and then molded into shape by fingers, teeth, and tongue. While better than the off-the-shelf type, there can be wide variation in coverage and effectiveness.
- The custom-fabricated mouthguard: This one is made just for you after a model of your teeth is prepared. It is individually fabricated for a perfect fit. It’s strong, lightweight, and comfortable—which means you can wear it consistently.
Custom-made mouthguards are an indispensable piece of equipment, especially when they could save you the inconvenience (and potentially much higher cost) of restoring or replacing teeth. It’s the best way to prevent a dental injury from spoiling your game.