Common sense dictates that it’s a good idea to wear a mouthguard if you play contact sports or engage in any activity where you could potentially damage your teeth. However, we don’t always do what we know is in our best interest.
There are several reasons why people don’t wear mouthguards. Sometimes people don’t know that the activity that they are engaging in requires a mouthguard. Teenagers may not wear them because there is peer pressure to not wear one. After all, nobody wants to be the only one on their team that wears a mouthguard! Others might complain that a mouthguard is uncomfortable or interferes with their speech and breathing.
However, there are several reasons to wear a mouthguard. Our office would like to share some of them with you. Our goal is not to convince you to wear a mouthguard (or to assure you to make your child wear a mouthguard) if you are not already. But I do hope that this blog will increase your awareness of the implications of wearing or not wearing a mouthguard so that you can make an informed decision.
5 good reasons to wear a mouthguard:
1. Mouthguards Protect Against Tooth Fractures
One of the most critical functions of mouthguards is to keep your teeth from breaking. If your tooth does fracture, it usually can be saved.
2. Mouthguards Protect Against Tooth Displacement
If a baseball hits you hard right in the mouth and you’re not wearing a mouthguard, it could break your tooth. If you’re more fortunate, it may only displace your tooth and cause your tooth to move quickly after that.
However, if you are wearing a mouthguard when an object hits your mouth, it will cushion your teeth. A mouthguard can also distribute the force over all of your teeth so that one tooth doesn’t receive a crushing blow.
3. Mouthguards Protect Against Knocking Out a Tooth
Nobody wants to have their tooth get knocked out. It would be a tragedy if someone ended up with a large gap in their smile due to an accident that could have been prevented by wearing a mouthguard.
4. Mouthguards Protect Against Soft Tissue Injuries
Picture a basketball player who had bit right through her lower lip. She needed stitches to repair the harm. All of this could have been avoided if she had covered up the sharp surfaces of her teeth with a mouthguard. Mouthguards can keep you from injuring your tongue and cheek as well.
6. Mouthguards Protect Against Jaw Fractures
Mouthguards also protect against jaw fractures. When you sustain a blow to the head, and your teeth contact each other, there’s not much room for flexibility. But, if you have a layer of flexible plastic between your teeth, it can act as padding and save your jaw from fracturing. Jaw fractures often require major surgery (and a steady diet of Jello and soup), so it is likely in your best interest to wear a mouthguard to prevent such an occurrence!
At Superior Dental Health, we take pride in offering high-quality dental care for the whole family in a comfortable environment. So if you are looking for a custom mouth guard for yourself, your kids, or anybody you know who may need one, schedule an appointment and experience the difference for yourself!