Wear a Sports Mouthguard

Protect Your Smile Wear a sports mouthguard

Millions of people experience sports-related dental injuries every year. You can safeguard your smile with a simple piece of athletic gear that helps lessen the impact of a blow to your mouth.

When should I wear a Tips for choosing a mouthguard? mouthguard Any time you might come in contact with hard surfaces 1. Look for a good fit. or other players, you should 2. Make sure you can breathe protect your mouth from and speak normally. broken teeth, jaw injuries and cuts to the lips and tongue. 3. Consider durability. Common dental injuries occur 4. Select a design that is easy in basketball, bicycling, boxing, to clean. football, lacrosse, martial arts, skateboarding, skating, soccer, softball and wrestling.

We keep you smiling® deltadentalins.com/enrollees Mouthguard types Ready-made. Typically the Caring for your mouthguard lowest-cost option, stock • Clean with soap and warm mouthguards provide minimal water. protection. Your mouth must be • Soak in alcohol-free closed to hold them in place, mouthwash before putting so they may interfere with your it away. speech and breathing. • Store in a well-ventilated Boil-and-bite. Softened in container to let it dry out hot water and then placed between uses. into your mouth for a more • Avoid heat and direct individual fit, these guards are sunlight. often more comfortable than the stock variety. • Try not to bend it. • Don’t wear or touch Custom. Tailor-made by your someone else’s dentist with a mold of your mouthguard. teeth, this type offers the best protection, fit and comfort • Call your dentist if you have level. However, it can be the problems with a custom- most expensive option. Check made guard. your dental plan to see if mouthguards are covered.

SmileWay® Wellness Program Visit mysmileway.com — a one-stop- shop for oral health-related tools and tips, including interactive quizzes, a risk assessment tool and a subscription to Grin!, our free oral wellness e-magazine.

Our Delta Dental enterprise includes these companies in these states: Delta Dental of California — CA, Delta Dental of the District of Columbia — DC, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania — PA & MD, Delta Dental of West Virginia, Inc. — WV, Delta Dental of Delaware, Inc. — DE, Delta Dental of New York, Inc. — NY, Delta Dental Insurance Company — AL, DC, FL, GA, LA, MS, MT, NV, TX and UT.