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Sports Mouthguards
A split lip will heal but broken teeth won't. Did you know that teeth are the least able part of the human body to repair themselves after an injury? The dental treatment required to repair damaged teeth or replace missing teeth is both time consuming and expensive.
If you or your child participates in any kind of physical sport there's a risk of dental damage. Mouthguards (sometimes known as gum shields) are like the crash helmets of teeth and are almost universally worn in contact sports such as:
- Boxing
- Rugby
- Hockey
- Lacrosse
- Martial Arts
Being accidentally caught in the face by a squash racket or lacrosse stick, or falling awkwardly across showjumping poles, can cause more damage to the teeth than any blow from a boxing glove. That's why mouthguards are worn not just by members of the England Rugby team, but also by the All England Woman's Lacrosse team. In the case of Lacrosse, mouthguards may soon be compulsory at club level.
It is important that mouthguards are always worn by children who wear a fixed brace as a blow to the face can cause lacerations to the soft tissues of the inside of the mouth if they come into contact with the wirework of the brace.
Sports Mouthguards are the answer
They're made in a similar fashion to laminated windscreens being made from layers of soft and flexible high impact absorbing polymers which support the teeth and protect the gums. They're individually moulded to casts of the players teeth, so that they fit securely. The secure fit means they don't move and will not restrict breathing or speaking.
How you feel affects the way you play. Many players report that firm fit and zingy colours make them feel good during a game; and the boost to confidence caused by better face protection gives them that vital aggressive edge.
Safety First
An incorrectly fitting mouthguard is inefficient, is hard to hold in place and interferes with proper breathing and speaking ability. Mouthguards sold over-the-counter - so called "boil and bite" types - invariably suffer from these disadvantages and provide a false sense of protection due to the dramatic decrease in thickness when bitten into place during their softened state.
Damaged Teeth
It is often said that 'prevention is better than cure' and this is especially true in the case of human teeth. Human teeth are the least capable part of the human body to repair themselves after an injury. Anyone that participates in a contact sport is vulnerable to a dental injury. Contact sports include such sports as Rugby, Hockey, Le Crosse, Kick Boxing, Cricket, Ice Hockey etc. In fact any sport where a player is likely to make contact with a hard object. The solution is to wear a custom-made mouthguard. Many young sports players will be undergoing orthodontic treatment and wearing fixed or removable braces. They should wear a mouthguard if they participate in contact sports as a sudden impact to their face could otherwise result in the wire work of their braces lacerating the soft tissues of the inside of their lips and cheeks.
Mouthguards and Current Legislation
Mouthguards, (Gumshields or Toothguards) come under the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) legislation. Manufacturers of Mouthguards/Gumshields and Toothguards must comply with this piece of legislation and demonstrate this by permanently sealing the CE mark in its recognisable form of black print on a white background within the mouthguard (Gumshield or Toothguard).
There are two types of mouthguards (Gumshields or Toothguards) available:
1) Boil and Bite Mouthguards/Gumshields/Toothguards
These are available in sports and chemist shops and may be placed in boiling water and then moulded to the tooth arch. However they tend to thin out in the very areas where protection is required and also be of a loose fit which during exertion may cause them to become dislodged and trapped in the sports players airway causing suffocation. Toothguard and gumshield are very much the old fashioned name for mouthguards. The word gumshield was mainly used by boxers and the word toothguard was mainly used by dentists. Both these words toothguard and gumshield have been replaced by the word mouthguard.
2) Custom-made Sports Mouthguards
These are the preferred type as they are custom-made to moulds taken of the players upper and lower tooth arches by a dentist. Custom-made sports mouthguards are made by using several layers of different plastics which are pressure laminated together like laminated glass so as to make a very impact absorbing mouthguard. For instance, a 'heavy type' mouthguard contains 'resilient energy transmission lines' which are placed over the delicate areas of the biting surfaces of the teeth and will rebound and accelerate the transmission of the destructive energy away from the site of impact thus enhancing the mouthguards protection of the teeth.
For further information, advice or to make an appointment regarding custom-made sports mouthguards, contact a member of the HDC team.
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