A mouth-guard is a shock absorber for the teeth and jaw. When properly fitted, a mouth-guard will protect teeth, stop teeth biting into the lips and act as a shock absorbing layer between the teeth to reduce concussion and jaw fracture. Teeth are tough, but not tough enough to stand a head-on collision with an opponent. So if you are involved in a sport where there’s a chance of a knock or blow to the head, you need the protection of a mouth-guard. And if you thought mouth-guards were just for collision sports, think again. Studies have shown that basketball has one of the highest rates of dental injury and not surprisingly one of the lowest rates of mouth-guard use. The cost of replacing a single tooth can be as much as $4000. All team members should all be wearing some sort of mouth-guard, particularly if they have braces. Not all mouth-guards are the same. Many offer an excellent level of protection, but there are others which can dislodge and not offer much protection. The range of Mouth-guards ranges from
1.stock mouth-guards, the ones you buy off the shelf from pharmacies and sports stores.
2.boil and bite guards, again which are bought from pharmacies and sports stores but which mold under heat.
3. Custom fit mouth-guards which are made by a dental professional from a plastic model of your teeth. A custom fitted mouth-guard is, of course, the best but most expensive Part of this may be rebatable from your private health insurance fund. Children, however, do have a tendency to grow regularly out of their mouth-guards so boil and bit guards may be sufficient depending on the sport and level.
Get some advice from your dentist if uncertain.
