Protecting your teeth from sports-related dental injuries

The sun is out and it is summer holiday – does that mean you and your family are spending more time outdoors doing physical activities you don’t regularly do? Most people take advantage of the summer by engaging in sports or other athletic activities – whether purely recreational or using the extra time of the summer to gain additional training for a competitive advantage.
Exercise is extremely healthy for our bodies and it is a good practice to spend time doing physical sports and activities. However, it is important to remember to take proper care of yourself – we often think of things such as hydration, sun-protection, helmets and eye protection, but how regularly do you think about and take care for the protection of your teeth?
A summer sports related injury can easily result in a dental injury leaving you wishing you had taken proper precautions to protect your teeth from permanent damage.
Additionally, since blood supply to the head is abundant, injuries to the mouth typically result in extreme bleeding which can be frightening, and even dangerous if too much blood is lost.
While sports and other physical activities do present a risk for a dental injury, you can easily minimize the risk by using a mouth guard. There are three types of mouth guards to choose from:

• Stock Mouthguards
  Stock mouthguards are sold ready-to-use. They are quick, convenient, and the cheapest type of guard – which means, of course, that the level of protection they provide is the least as well.
• Mouth-formed Mouthguards
  Mouth-formed guards, or “Boil and Bite” Mouthguards, are the most common type of mouthguard used. The appliance is custom fitted by you easily at home and offers a better fit than off-the-shelf stock mouthguards.
• Custom Mouthguard
  Your dentist can provide you with a custom-fit mouthguard which is formed using custom dental impressions of your mouth. Custom mouthguards are the most expensive option, but provide maximum comfort, and most importantly, the best protection for your teeth.

If you would like to make an appointment for fitting of a custom mouthguard, or to discuss any of your dental concerns or questions, email us at info@lifestyledental.co.uk , or call us on 01772 717316.