Mouthguards are made from heavy duty, flexible, hard-wearing vinyl or laminates and are available in various colours. All people who play sport should wear a mouthguard. Children’s teeth and jaws are particularly vulnerable to sporting injury. Mouthguards will help the child’s confidence and will give the parent peace of mind.
Mouth guards are necessary in all sports where contact and the possibility of a fall and contact with hands, feet, shoulders, bats, balls, and helmets is possible. Australian Rules Football, Rugby, and contact sports like boxing and martial are the most commonly thought of sports for Mouth Guards, but other sports like equestrian riding, horse racing, netball, hockey, volley ball, squash, and cricket are all sports where we have seen injuries to the mouth and face.
Injury can include loss of or chipped and broken teeth, concussion from the teeth smashing together, broken jaw, torn facial muscles and ligaments, cut lips and severed tongue.
The use of store bought mouth guards is fraught with dangers. Store bought mouth guards don’t fit, you can’t get the mouth guard hot enough to mould to the mouth without risking burns to the lips, tongue and gums.
A loose mouth guard risks choking, due to being swallowed, and catching in the throat, possibly causing further damage to the larynx and other muscles and tissue. There is a risk of loss of teeth and bone due to the poor fitting mouth guard pulling the tooth on impact. It is also much harder to speak with a poorly made mouth guard and it may fall out just when it is needed.
A loose mouth guard may also teach you to think you can’t wear a mouth guard comfortably and assume all mouth guards will be the same, this is not the case with a professionally made, well fitted mouth guard. A professionally made mouth guard should be easy to forget you are wearing it once you have worn it for a short while. Mouth guards can be made in many single colours and even multiple colours and patterns, they can even have logo’s added. Mouth guards can also be made to fit over braces.
Mouth guards in a thinner 1mm material are very useful to alleviate tooth grinding and clenching in your sleep. Your mouth guard may not have any out of pocket cost if you are with a health fund.
These are the details to be kept in mind while using mouthguards:
- Cleaning and storage: Mouthguards can be cleaned easily by rinsing under cold water after use. They need to be brushed very lightly. They should be stored in vented plastic container and should be kept away from heat and sunlight.
- First aid tip: If a tooth is accidentally damaged from impact, it is wise to leave the mouth guard in position and attend a Dentist immediately. If a tooth is dislodged it should be rinsed in milk and placed back into the socket or kept moist and wrapped in plastic. Seek dental care immediately.
Mouthguards are subject to rebates for eligible patients covered under Dental Health Funds.
