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By the age of 16 many
children are likely to have suffered an injury to their teeth resulting in
permanent damage. Twenty percent of these injuries occur during organised
sport.
Almost all of these injuries could be avoided with the use of a sports
mouth guard.
Adults are not immune to dental injuries while playing sport either.
A sports guard is basically
a crash hat for teeth. It is made of an elastic material that absorbs and
dissipates energy when hit. This means that when a ball, elbow or anything
else for that matter, hits your sports guard the force of the blow is
absorbed and force of the impact is spread over a wider area. As
well as protecting the teeth against direct injury they also stop teeth from clashing
together when the lower jaw is hit. This type of blow is just as likely
to causes pieces
of tooth to break or chip in the unprotected mouth as a direct blow from a
hard object. Research has
also shown that sports guards can help to reduce the risk of concussion
and other more serious injuries.
Not all sports guards are
the same. Sports guards that you buy in the shops to boil in water
then bite into are not as good at protecting your teeth because when you
bite into them you thin the sports guard in the critical areas where you
want most protection. They also tend to be bulky and are not well retained
in the mouth. Although not ideal they are better than nothing. Custom made mouth guards provide a better fit
making them more comfortable to wear and less obtrusive during sport.
The Australian Dental Journal
published a research paper which concluded "the
custom made mouth guard is fabricated over a model of the wearers teeth.
They are acknowledged as providing the highest level of protection and
greatest comfort."
At this time of year many
schools organise visits from companies that specialise in making mouth guards. These companies provide a
convenient service and also produce mouth guards
that are appropriate for children and effective.
It is always a difficult
decision as to when a sports guard should be worn for the first time. The
baby teeth sit very close to the developing adult teeth so a knock or a
bump to a baby tooth can cause damage to the adult tooth underneath. For
this reason it is advisable to have children wear mouth guards as soon as
they start to play any contact sport. While a custom made mouth guard is
the ideal standard a boil and bite type mouth guard is better than no
protection at all. As children grow and become heavier they have more
momentum while playing sport at this point a well made mouth guard becomes
a necessity to ensure proper protection of the teeth and jaws.
At the practice we are able to make mouth guards
at very competitive rates. A
sports guard made to fit will provide increased protection against
injury and can last for several seasons. Our team are
also on hand to provide aftercare including any adjustments
necessary throughout the season as your child grows. Finally
if the worst happens and any member of your family sustains a knock or
blow to the teeth please do contact us to have things checked out at the
first opportunity. |