Sports Guards Sports guards are a type of mouthguard designed to be worn when you play a sport. Both adults and children can benefit from these, whether you play a contact or non-contact sport. Dental injuries are more common in contact sports, of course, but they can occur in any sport. We recommend wearing a mouth guard to prevent these injuries. At New Life Dental, we have custom sports guards available, but we can also explain other types of sports guards as well. We will also give you tips on maintaining your sports guard when you are not wearing it.Common Dental InjuriesThere are three main types of dental injuries: fracture, luxation, and avulsion. Fractures include both root fractures and tooth chips. Luxation is a tooth displacement, but the tooth remains in the socket. An avulsion is the loss of the entire tooth, including its root, as it has been knocked out of the mouth. Sports guards help to prevent these injuries by forming a barrier between your teeth and also keeping them in place. In addition, should your tooth still become fractured, avulsed, or luxated while wearing the mouthguard, the soft tissues in your mouth will be protected from lacerations. Sports guards also help reduce the risk of head and jaw injuries by lowering the impact of collisions. Fitting ProceduresThere are three different types of sports guards available to you: stock (over-the-counter), boil and bite, and custom-fitted. Stock sports guards can be purchased from in-person and online retailers, such as sporting goods stores or pharmacies. These fit the same way for every person, so they are the least reliable. Boil-and-bite sports guards are a bit better, though they are still not your best option. To fit these, you will first need to boil them in water to soften the material. You can then, once they cool off, put the sports guard over your teeth, and use your fingers to mold it around your teeth. Custom-fitted sports guards offer the most protection of any sports guard. These are professionally made at our office, and they are perfectly fit for your mouth. This means that it can hold your teeth in place much more reliably and that the barrier between the rows of teeth is much stronger. We start the process by getting a dental impression, which will then be given to our lab. They will make a mold of your teeth, which they will use to fit the sports guard material around it. We will contact you once we receive the sports guard back from the lab. We will check the fit and make slight adjustments if needed. For instance, we can file them down to alleviate pressure on your teeth or reduce coverage on your gums. This may be needed at a later time to prevent ulcers if the sports guards rub as you wear them. Sports Guard MaintenanceWash your sports guard every day with soap and warm water. Keep it in a container when you are not wearing it, which we will give to you, or you will receive with your purchase. Also, bring it to each of your routine appointments so we can check its condition. To get a custom-fitted sports guard, call New Life Dental at (227) 258-3188. |
 Office HoursMon-Thu: 8:00am - 5:00pm *Closed for lunch 12-1pm Mon, Tues, Thurs & 1-2pm Weds Fri: Closed |
