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 their mouthguard fits correctly and feels comfortable. 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 Mouthguard in Midland, TX
To begin treatment, Dr. Courter will take dental impressions of your smile to create a customized fit. These dental impressions are sent to a dental lab. In the lab, technicians fabricate the mouthguard to the specifications of your smile. Once the mouthguard is complete, you will return to our office.
Dr. Courter will ensure the mouthguard fits comfortably. He will also provide you with a case for your mouthguard.
How to Care For Mouthguards
You should clean your mouthguard with warm water and antibacterial soap after each use. Do not use hot water to clean the mouthguard, which can warp the plastic. Keeping the mouthguard both clean and dry is essential. After cleaning your mouthguard, please 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 one size fits all. Mouthguards that use the boil and bite system may seem like they are custom fit to your mouth. But that’s not the case.
Store-bought mouthguards can only do so much. Usually, you have to constantly clench your teeth to keep these mouthguards in your mouth. This causes many issues when focusing on the game you’re playing.
You cannot communicate with your team when you’re constantly clenching your teeth. Your mouthguard can fall out. You can also not 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. Tension in the jaw can contribute to TMJ disorders. 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 speak and drink
Wearing a custom-made sports mouthguard from our Midland, TX office can prevent further oral health issues.
Sports Mouthguards vs. TMJ Mouthguards
Sports mouthguards are light, bulky materials designed to absorb shocks and hits. On the other hand, TMJ night guards are made of thinner, harder plastic. The material prevents damage from your teeth grinding or clenching together.
Mouthguards and night guards are made for their specific purposes. Do not use either of these for something that isn’t their 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 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.
Receive a Custom Mouthguard
Do you or your child need new sports mouthguards for the upcoming season? Get your next custom-made mouthguard in Midland, TX. Call our Permian Basin dental office at 432-287-9531 or schedule a dental consultation with Dr. Courter on our website.