Dental emergencies are very common for people who play physical sports, but a lot of the emergencies can be avoided if patients protect the teeth while engaged in physical activities. Mouthguards are protective coverings that are worn over teeth while a person is playing a physical sport or if the patients grind the teeth at night. In the past, the use of mouthguards was mostly restricted to athletes. These days, more people are taking the advice of the dentists and are wearing mouthguards when playing physical sports.
Dentists advise people who play sports to wear mouthguards. These are designed to protect the soft tissue in the mouths, lips and tongues, reducing the risk of damaging the teeth while playing. Traditional mouthguards only cover the top teeth. However, some people use mouthguards on the bottom teeth as well if they have braces in their mouths. If the mouthguard is fitted properly, it will protect the brackets in the mouth and keep the braces from injuring the gums and cheeks.
Stock mouth guards: this is a one size fits all mouthguard that is very inexpensive and ready to wear. However, mouthguards are very big and do not fit well in the mouth, which makes breathing difficult when people have them on. Since these cannot be adjusted to fit the mouth properly, dentists usually do not recommend this type of mouthguards.
Boil and Bite: this is better than the stock mouthguard because these fit better in the mouth. To use this mouthguard, a person will first have to soften it up by boiling it in a pot of hot water, allowing them to shape it to their specific needs.
Custom-made mouthguard: this is considered the right type of mouthguard for people who want to avoid dental emergencies because it is specifically designed for each individual, which means the mouthguards will fit properly in the patient’s mouth. Since these were made specifically for each person, they are more expensive than the other two types of mouthguards.
When a person is done using the mouthguard, the following steps should be used to keep it clean. Once the patient is finished using the mouthguard, they should rinse it with cold water or mouthwash to keep it clean. A person can also use some soap and a toothbrush to clean it after use. However, patients should make sure the mouthguard is thoroughly rinsed to remove any soap residue.
When one is finished cleaning the mouthguard, patients can store it in a perforated container. This helps them avoid damaging the mouthguard and protect it when not in use. Lastly, a patient should take their mouthguard with them when visiting the dentist so the dentist can examine it and determine if it needs to be replaced.
Mouthguards are used to protect you from damaging your teeth when playing physical sports. If you are physically active and enjoy playing sports, but want to avoid dental emergencies in the future, talk to your dentist and ask them to make a mouthguard specifically for you, so you can protect your teeth while playing.
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