However, there are few sports that exist without the risk for injury. Even sports deemed to be relatively safe such as soccer and volleyball can cause injury to your smile.

So what can you do to prevent teeth damage while playing sports? Here are your top picks for protection.

Custom Mouthguards

Mouthguards are the number one way to protect your teeth during sports. Although there are many mouthguards available over the counter, your best bet for optimal protection will be a custom mouthguard. Custom mouthguards are made at your dentist office specifically for your smile. This means there’s minimal room for harm because every tooth is protected.

Mouthguards are required in many children’s sports and are recommended for sports such as basketball, hockey, football, lacrosse, softball, volleyball, wresting, and boxing. Never forgo a mouthguard during contact sports—it could save your smile by absorbing the impact and protecting your teeth!

Wear a Helmet

Helmets are required for some sports and recommended during others. Although designed to protect your head, helmets do the job of protecting your smile in the event of a head injury. Whether it’s a few knocked-out teeth or a broken jaw, helmets are absolutely worth the investment for the following sports:

Rugby
Horseback riding
Skateboarding
Sledding or skiing
Football
Baseball
Bicycling

Wearing a helmet during these sports can protect your smile in the event that injury occurs!

Healthy Teeth Are Strong Teeth

Teeth that are healthy and strong will naturally be more resistant to injury than those that are weak from decay or gum disease. Getting regular checkups with your dentist can ensure that your teeth are strong and healthy.

Your dentist can also fit you for a custom mouthguard during your appointment. It’s always important to protect your smile when it comes to sports—both on and off the field!

Keep an Emergency Kit

Preventing injuries to your teeth is advisable but in some cases, accidents still happen and teeth can still be injured. It’s wise to keep an emergency kit with you for this reason. In your emergency kit, you should have the names and numbers of nearby dentists who may be able to see you for an emergency visit. If they cannot, go to your local emergency room.

You can also keep:

Cotton absorbers such as cotton balls and gauze
A cold compress that can be activated on site
Alcohol wipes to clean the site
Ibuprofen for pain
A container for a knocked-out tooth

Make sure to talk with your dentist before doing anything to the site beyond controlling the bleeding!

Tooth injuries during sports can be as minor as a chipped tooth or as severe as a broken jaw. Preventing injuries is the best way to stop them—but when an accident happens, be prepared. Always wear a mouthguard or a helmet as appropriate for your sport, keep your smile healthy, and have an emergency kit on hand!

The post How Can I Prevent Teeth Damage While Playing Sports? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Here’s what happens when you have to wear something uncomfortable: you don’t end up wearing it. Like that pair of 5-inch heels or a too-tight shirt in the closet, it just doesn’t get used. When you need a mouthguard for essential protection such as from contact sports or teeth grinding (also called bruxism), not wearing your mouthguard could set you up for serious damage to your teeth. Getting a mouthguard that’s made specifically for your mouth and actually fits can reduce discomfort and ensure that you’ll use your protective gear!

Enhance Protection

When you get a custom mouthguard, impressions are taken at your dentist’s office in order to ensure a perfect fit. This custom fit means that your mouthguard will fit your mouth impeccably and will be so comfortable you may not even know you’re wearing it. This increases the chances you’ll actually wear your mouthguard, therefore resulting in a better-protected smile!

However, ensuring a custom-fit also means that each and every tooth is protected. When you buy generic mouthguards at the store, it’s hard to ensure protection because these mouthguards were not made with your unique mouth in mind. With custom mouthguards, every tooth in your mouth is fully protected to resist damage from sports or bruxism.

Breathe Better

Have you ever tried to run with a huge mouthguard in? It feels impossible to get enough oxygen into your lungs when you’re wearing an improperly-fitting mouthguard. Having you or your child wear these mouthguards during sports or while sleeping just isn’t safe—you need to breathe well to ensure proper oxygen intake to nourish your body.

With custom-fitted mouthguards, the discomfort is gone, the protection is there, and you can breathe better. This is because this mouthguard was made specifically for you. It’s not too big or too small, and your airway is left unobstructed by a custom-fitting mouthguard. Breathe easier during sports and sleep with these custom devices!

Getting a custom mouthguard is absolutely worth the effort and the cost at your dentist’s office. This is because it better protects your teeth, is more comfortable, and allows you to breathe properly regardless of what you need to do with your mouthguard in. Ask your dentist about getting custom mouthguards to fully protect your smile!

The post Custom Mouthguards: Are They Really Worth It? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.