Do You Need a Mouthguard?

FOR THE DENTAL PATIENT...

easy to clean, Do you need a and not restrict your speech or mouthguard? breathing. Generally, a mouthguard covers t’s easy to take some things for granted only the upper until they’re suddenly gone. Imagine what teeth, but in some it would be like if you lost one or two of your cases the dentist front teeth. Smiling, talking or eating— will make a mouth- they’d all be pretty unpleasant. guard for the lower The mouth-formed mouthguard. IA properly fitted mouthguard, or mouth pro- teeth as well. Your tector, is an important piece of athletic gear that dentist can sug- can help protect your smile. You may have seen gest the right mouthguards used in contact sports, particularly mouthguard for in football, boxing, ice hockey, lacrosse and field you. hockey. Mouthguards help cushion blows that might otherwise cause broken teeth and injuries CARING FOR YOUR to the lips, tongue, face or jaw. It’s believed that MOUTHGUARD they also may reduce the severity and incidence of concussions. dBefore and after Photos courtesy of The Academy of Sports Dentistry You don’t have to be on the football field or each use, rinse it The custom-made mouthguard. in a hockey rink to benefit from a properly fitted with cold water or mouthguard. New findings in sports dentistry with a mouthrinse. show that even in noncontact sports, such as You can clean it with toothpaste and a gymnastics, mouthguards will help protect partic- toothbrush. ipants. Many experts recommend that everyone— dOccasionally clean the mouthguard in cool, from children to adults—wear a mouthguard dur- soapy water and rinse it thoroughly. ing any recreational activity that might pose a dPlace the mouthguard in a firm, perforated risk of injury to the mouth. container to store or transport it. This permits air circulation and helps to prevent damage. CHOOSING A MOUTHGUARD dTo minimize distortion, avoid high tempera- There are three types of mouthguards: tures, such as hot water, hot surfaces or direct dthe ready-made, or stock, mouthguard; sunlight. dthe mouth-formed “boil-and-bite” mouthguard; Like any other sports gear, a mouthguard will dthe custom- wear out, making it less effective. If your mouth- made mouthguard has holes or tears or becomes loose, it can guard made by irritate the teeth and oral tissues. Occasionally your dentist. check the mouthguard’s condition and replace it All three as necessary. mouthguards pro- Schedule regular dental check-ups and bring vide protection, your mouthguard to each dental visit. but they vary in comfort and cost.

The most effec- Prepared by the ADA Division of Communications, in cooperation The ready-made mouthguard. tive mouthguard with The Journal of the American Dental Association. Unlike other por- tions of JADA, this page may be clipped and copied as a handout for should be resilient, tear-resistant and comfort- patients, without first obtaining reprint permission from ADA Pub- able. It should fit properly, be durable and lishing, a division of ADA Business Enterprises Inc.