Sports aren’t always pretty. Injuries are often a part of the game. In fact, it’s estimated that more than 5 million teeth are lost each year to sports-related accidents, according to a recent study. And consider this: It can cost between $5,000 and $20,000 to care for a tooth lost in such a dental injury over the course of a lifetime!
That’s why we like to think of athletic mouthguards as a small insurance policy for the health of your smile. It’s an investment you make now to help prevent one or more costly curative procedures later on! And when you get one that’s well made and fits properly, it’s effective at preventing dental injuries on the field, on the court, or wherever you or your star athlete play.
At Bell Dental Group, we offer athletic mouthguards that fit and protect your smile better than anything you’ll find in your local sporting goods store. Read on to learn more about why it’s worth the time and effort to get a quality custom-made athletic mouthguard. Then, give us a call at 513-802-9440 to schedule an appointment.
Benefit For All Athletes
Of course, it makes sense that athletes participating in contact sports, like boxing or martial arts, would benefit from an athletic mouthguard. But truth be told, dental injuries can happen even in the sports and recreational activities you wouldn’t expect — think of gymnastics or mountain biking. According to the American Dental Association, all athletes can benefit from wearing an athletic mouthguard.
It’s also increasingly common to see the governing bodies of different sports and athletic conferences require athletes to wear mouthguards. For example, the Ohio High School Athletic Association simply makes mouthguards a mandatory component of the uniforms for lacrosse players and football players. Some school districts have even added them as suggested or required gear as more studies seem to show that mouthguards can help prevent concussions.
Want to know whether your student athlete needs a mouthguard? Ask your coach or consult with your team’s guidelines.
What Protects Best?
When you’re shopping for all the gear you or your student athlete need for the season, you might be tempted to just pick up a mouthguard from the same sporting goods store you’re buying everything else from. But you run a risk with store-bought mouthguards. They’ll almost certainly be less durable and less effective at providing protection than mouthguards custom-made by a professional dentist.
When you come to Bell Dental Group for your athletic mouthguard, we’ll take impressions of your mouth. This will be used to guide fabrication of a mouthguard that fits and protects your teeth, gums, and any dental restorations or orthodontic work you may have.
One-size-fits-all mouthguards, while inexpensive and convenient, can’t provide this kind of protection. In fact, wearing an ill-fitting mouthguard can even do more damage to your mouth than not wearing one at all!
While boil-and-bite mouthguards — which are store-bought but molded to the wearer’s teeth — are a better option, it’s still your best bet to have a dentist oversee the creation of your mouthguard. Plus, professionally crafted mouthguards tend to be of better quality and last longer than store-bought versions.
Get Your Head In The Game
With custom-made mouthguards, you’ll experience greater peace of mind knowing that your teeth or your student’s teeth are protected. That way, you can focus on the game, and not on the possibility of a dental disaster.
Want to learn more? Give us a call at 513-802-9440 to schedule an appointment. You can also use our online form.