Mouth Guard in Scarborough
A mouthguard is a device you wear to protect your mouth and teeth during certain activities. These range from preventing injury while you’re taking part in sport and other potentially dangerous activities or for stopping your teeth from grinding during your sleep. Our family dentist in Scarborough can help you decide whether a mouthguard will benefit you or your children.
Types of Mouthguards
Each of the different reasons for wearing a mouthguard requires a different type of appliance. While these might look similar to each other, they have different functions. While you can get “boil-and-bite” or over the counter mouthguards, these often don’t meet the requirements for full protection. You can even get a mouthguard that goes over braces, for teens who are active in sports while going through expensive orthodontic treatment.
The Risk of Impact
More than two-thirds of young Canadians take part in some type of sport. Protective gear is either recommended or provided to players for most sports involving physical contact, but only 10% actually wear the correct type of mouthguards. Since many sports have a high risk of injury from falling or impact to the face, a mouthguard made by our family dentist in Scarborough can help to protect your teeth and gums, as well as your lips and tongue.
Important Athletic Equipment
Mouthguards are an important piece of athletic equipment for anyone who takes part in activities that carry the risk of falling, unexpected body contact or being struck by flying equipment. That includes most ball games, as well as skateboarding, gymnastics, and types of cycling. Ideally, a sports mouthguard should have good shock-absorbing qualities, and should be a certain thickness for best results. Thicknesses of 3 mm at the lips, 2 mm at the palate and 3 mm between the upper and lower teeth provide optimal protection, without being too bulky for comfort. For athletes who play more aggressive sports, our family dentist in Scarborough can increase those thicknesses during the design of your custom-made mouthguard.
Mouthguards for Swimmers
It might seem odd for swimmers to wear mouthguards, but there’s a very good reason for it. Swimming in a chlorinated pool for more than six hours a week can cause damage to your teeth, but a snug, custom-fit mouthguard reduces the amount of contact between the teeth and the chemicals. This helps to prevent a condition called swimmer’s calculus, which is a brown-stained tartar deposit that usually accumulates on the front teeth.
Why Wear a Custom-Made Mouthguard
A custom-made guard fitted by our family dentist in Scarborough will feel comfortable and allow you to breathe and swallow normally while being thick enough to prevent injury or concussion from jaw impact. The more comfortable your mouthguard is, the greater the chances that you (or your loved ones) will actually wear it often enough to enjoy the protective benefits it offers.
For more information about custom-fitted mouthguards, contact us at (416) 291-3117 to schedule an appointment with our family dentist in Scarborough.
A mouthguard is a device you wear to protect your mouth and teeth during certain activities. These range from preventing injury while you’re taking part in sport and other potentially dangerous activities or for stopping your teeth from grinding during your sleep. Our family dentist in Scarborough can help you decide whether a mouthguard will benefit you or your children.