Heintz Orthodontics

'Tis the Season for Mouthguards

As summer makes its debut, so does warmer weather (hopefully).  Which, in turn, kicks off the season of summer sports and sports practices.  This is FANTASTIC!  We are always in support of living healthy and active lifestyles.  But, from an orthodontic point of view, all of these sports bring a major concern to mind; MOUTHGUARDS  

We know that mouthguards are not the most comfortable things to wear during sports.  But, as the article above points out, there are several different types of guards; you just have to find the one that works best for you.  If you are a patient with braces, we highly recommend the "boil and bite" type, as they will then fit comfortably over your braces.  

You may be thinking to yourself "I know that if I were a boxer or if I played football I would need a mouthguard, but my sport is not that rough.  So, I'm good, right??"  WRONG! 

That article contains a list of fairly low-impact sports that are better off played with a mouthguard.  Just because you are not getting physically hit in the face, most sports have the potential of causing harm to your mouth due to falls, head-to-head contact, tooth clenching, or blows to the face.  

This link can educate you on different types of mouth injuries and will hopefully show you why a mouthguard is a seriously essential piece of equipment for sports.  

So, even though they may not be the most comfortable thing to wear, 1) you can choose one that works best for you, 2) you can choose one that works best for the sport that you are involved in, 3) it can prevent all types of serious mouth injuries and, most importantly, 4) It can make you look seriously intimidating...