Procedures - Preventative
Sports Guards
Sports guards, or mouth guards, are resilient plastic appliances designed to cover over and encase an athlete's teeth and the gums and bone that support them. The guard is meant to provide protection for the teeth, jaw, lips, cheeks and gums by absorbing and redistributing the impacting forces of blows to the area of the mouth.
When a guard is worn it helps to provide protection for the hard (teeth and jaw) and soft (lips, cheeks, gums) tissues of the mouth by way of absorbing stock guard and redistributing the forces generated by painful blows around the mouth. For example, when a blow is delivered to the mouth, the forces of the impact are absorbed by the structures the blow lands upon. In the case of hard oral tissues such as teeth, a forceful impact can easily cause a tooth to fracture or dislodge, or cause damage to existing dental work (dental crowns, bridges, porcelain veneers, dental implants). In the worst case scenario, the impact can affect your jaw joint and can even cause concussion.
There are three types of mouth guards: general stock, boil and bite, and custom mouth guards. The stock guards come in standard sizes that do not always properly fit the athlete’s mouth. Boil and bite guards also come in stock guard standard sizes like the stock guards, but the user is to place the guard in hot water to soften the plastic so that they can mold the guard to the shape of their teeth and mouth. A custom mouth guard, made at the dental office, where your dental arch is perfectly fitted provides the best protection.