Patients who play contact sports like basketball, football, hockey, or lacrosse need to wear sports mouthguards. Mouthguards are required for sports with contact between players to prevent dental injuries and tooth loss. Dr. Michael Courter provides custom sports mouthguards to kids and adults in our North Midland, TX dental office.
He works with his patients individually to ensure that their mouthguard fits properly and feels comfortable in the mouth. Custom sports mouthguards are a general dentistry treatment that helps prevent the need for restorative or cosmetic care due to tooth damage or missing teeth.
Receiving and Caring for Sports Mouthguards
Dr. Courter will take dental impressions of your smile to create a customized fit. These dental impressions are sent to a dental lab where the mouthguards are fabricated to the specifications of your smile. Once the mouthguard is complete, Dr. Courter will ensure that it fits comfortably. Patients should clean their mouthguards after each use with warm water and soap. Do not use hot water to clean the mouthguard, as this can warp the plastic.
Keeping the mouthguard both clean and dry is essential. After you clean it and when you’re not using it, keep it in its ventilated carrying case. This lets it air dry and prevents it from remaining damp. It also makes it easy to remember where it is. If your mouthguard is left in a moist environment, particularly a warm one, it provides a perfect environment for bacterial growth. Putting it in your mouth after that can make you very sick.
Is a Custom Mouthguard Worth It?
Absolutely. The mouthguards you can get over the counter are basically one size fits all. The boil and bite system says that it provides a custom guard that’s fitted to your mouth. But that’s not really the case. They can only do so much. Usually, you have to constantly clench your teeth to keep the mouthguard in your mouth. This causes many issues when it comes to keeping your focus on the game you’re playing.
When you’re constantly clenching your teeth, you cannot communicate with your team. Your mouthguard would fall out. You’re also unable to get a quick drink of water without fully taking your mouthguard out. Constantly clenching your teeth also leads to stress in your jaw joint and the muscles that assist your jaw movement. TMJ disorders can cause pain throughout your jaw and the rest of your face.
Our professionally made sports mouthguards have many benefits for athletes, such as:
- Minimize the risk of injuries to soft tissues
- Protect teeth from breaks and loss
- Stay in the mouth during games
- Conform to the teeth
- Help wearers easily speak and drink
Sports Mouthguards Vs. TMJ Mouthguards
Sports mouthguards are made of a light, bulky material that’s designed to absorb shocks and hits. On the other hand, TMJ night guards are made of a thinner, harder plastic. The material prevents damage from your teeth grinding or clenching together. Both of these are made for their specific purposes. It’s important that you don’t try to use either of these for something that isn’t their expressed purpose.
If you try to use a TMJ guard for sports, it won’t protect you against any trauma. Getting hit in the mouth while wearing a TMJ guard means that your teeth are still in danger of damage or falling out. If you use a sports mouthguard for TMJ purposes, the material will wear down and damage extremely quickly. This leads to damaging both the mouthguard and risking damage to your teeth.
Request a dental appointment today. Do you or your child need new sports mouthguards for the upcoming season? Call our Permian Basin dental office at 432-287-9531 or schedule a dental consultation with Dr. Courter on our website.