Sports Guards

Mouth guards are a MUST for all ages

How do we encourage more athletes to wear mouthguards?

Athletes and parents must be educated as to the different types of mouthguards. Most athletes are convinced that mouthguards will not be comfortable, will not allow them to speak, and will not allow for proper breathing. Coaches and parents must be educated that oral protection will not hamper an athlete's ability to perform.  Over the counter mouthguards are inexpensive, but difficult to fit properly for every individual.

What are the best mouthguards?

The position of the Academy for Sports Dentistry is that to be adequate, a mouthguard must be properly fitted and properly worn. In order to ensure a proper fit, a mouthguard is best fitted by a dental professional. It is generally accepted that a custom fitted mouthguard fabricated over a dental cast of the athlete's teeth will give the best fit.

A mouthguard made by a dental professional can also tailor the mouthguard to the demands of the athlete and the sport. Speech requirements, individual occlusal differences and relative dental and concussion injury risks of each sport can only be customized by fabricating an individual mouthguard. It is difficult to see how an over- the-counter mouthguard can fill all of an athlete's requirements without being checked and adjusted by an informed dental professional.

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