Why Athletic Mouth Guards Matter

A mouth guard should be an essential part of every uniform. Athletes are at an increased risk of oral injury, and a mouth guard can help prevent or reduce injury when an accidental or intentional hit to the face occurs. Protect your smile with a mouth guard so that you can stay in the game!

Why You Should Wear a Mouth Guard

Athletes in a variety of sports can benefit from wearing a mouth guard. Even if you don’t participate in a sport that involves direct physical contact with other players, such as football or wrestling, dental injuries still happen. Here are the top three reasons why you should wear a mouth guard as an athlete.

To Protect Your Teeth

In a 2017 study observing professional handball players, researchers found that players who wore a mouthguard were 5.55 times less likely to suffer a dental injury. 

A blow to the mouth can cause a variety of dental injuries, including tooth and root fractures, tooth avulsion (loss) and tooth intrusion (where the tooth is driven back into the jawline). All of which can result in a significant amount of preventable pain and spending.

Terry Norris, DMD, the lead consulting dentist for HRI Dental & Vision, shares a story that has stuck with him about a patient who neglected to wear a mouth guard while playing sports:

“The incident happened on an evening just days before a school dance. A patient called after they were hit in the mouth playing basketball. Their front tooth and the one beside it was partially avulsed, and I had to get them back up into the tooth socket. I was successful and the patient was able to go to the dance. Later, because of the accident, root canals and crowns were needed.”

To Prevent Jaw Dislocation and Fractures

Mouth guards can help keep the jaw steady and spread the force of a hit to the face or jaw over a larger surface area. This can help prevent injuries to the jaw, such as dislocation or fracture.

“I recall a case that took months to treat following a bike accident. Several teeth were knocked out and their jaw was fractured,” Dr. Norris recalls. “A bone graft was needed and implants were placed followed by bridges to replace the missing teeth. A mouth guard could have very well saved this person some money, multiple surgeries and months of missing teeth.”

To Produce Long-Term Cost Savings

While a mouth guard does cost some money upfront, it can save you a significant amount of money in the long run. Investing in a mouth guard will cost you less than paying for extensive dental services or procedures to correct a dental injury obtained while not wearing a mouth guard.

Types of Mouth Guards

There are three general types of mouth guards to choose from: custom-made, mouth-formed and stock.

• Custom-made mouth guards are created specifically for you from an impression of your mouth and bite.
• Mouth-formed mouth guards offer some customization, by softening when placed in boiling water, and then cooled and shaped to your mouth when worn.
• Stock mouth guards aren’t customizable and come in a limited number of sizes.

Choosing the Right Mouth Guard for You

The more customizable mouth guard the better. Custom-made mouth guards fit more naturally in your mouth, and therefore are typically more comfortable than other options.

Because they are formed to your mouth, you don’t have to keep your mouth shut for them to stay in, like you have to with stock mouth guards. This can reduce frustrations and create better compliance with wearing the guard.

While custom-made mouth guards may typically provide the most comfortable fit, they do have their drawbacks. They can be pricey, and it often requires a couple of dental visits to have one fitted and made. Mouth-formed mouth guards can be a budget-friendly option that still offer some customization and are readily available online and at sports stores.

Dr. Norris shares, “Remember, you only get one set of permanent teeth. ‘Store-bought teeth’ can never replace them in the way they were meant to be.”