It’s summer, and that means more time spent outside enjoying the sunshine. For many Aussies, summer also means more sport! While protecting your teeth might not seem quite as critical as protecting, say, your shins, ensuring that you have appropriate dental protection can spare you from a whole host of dental disasters, not to mention expensive oral surgery! Read on to learn more about the benefits of custom sports mouthguards from Dream Smiles.

Did you know that sports-related dental injuries result in 600,000 visits to the emergency room each year? Indeed, so many people suffer catastrophic facial injuries while playing a sport that the Australian Dental Association has collaborated with Sports Medicine Australia to develop a “no mouthguard, no play” policy to be applied to different contact and ball sports. If you or a family member plays sports, a mouthguard will likely be required. It’s important to note that not all mouthguards are created equally — skimping on price could very well result in shelling out more for expensive orthodontic surgery should a disaster happen. For top-quality tooth protection, your best option is a custom-made mouthguard.

Why Should I Get A Custom Mouthguard?

Without a mouthguard, athletes are reportedly 60 times more likely to suffer a severe jaw or tooth injury. A hard impact on the face can cause severe damage—including jaw fractures or knocked out teeth completely. Mouthguards are designed to cushion the impact suffered from a blow to the face, absorbing and redistributing the force to reduce the risk of damage to your teeth, lips, tongue, and soft inner mouth tissue. However, the quality and type of mouthguard play a huge role in the amount of damage it can mitigate.
Generic ‘stock’ mouthguards, readily available at sporting goods stores, while accessible and affordable, simply don’t provide the same level of protection that a custom mouthguard can. Not only are these mass-produced mouthguards cumbersome and uncomfortable, but they also impede both speech and breathing – which is a problem when playing a high-intensity match. Furthermore, these mouthguards don’t always fit securely over the teeth or extend far enough back to provide full protection for the teeth and jaw.
‘Boil and bite’ mouthguards also fail to provide the same level of protection and damage reduction that a custom mouthguard can. While they are slightly more securely fitted, they are also thin, flimsy, and incompatible with orthodontics such as braces.
A custom mouthguard is specifically made and moulded to fit your unique bite. This means that it will stay securely in place, cushioning your teeth and jaw while also allowing you to breathe, drink water, and communicate easily with your teammates. Additionally, a good quality mouthguard also provides increased protection from concussion by reducing the impact of top and bottom teeth slamming together. Indeed, a study of American football players comparing stock mouthguard use to custom mouthguard use showed that players wearing stock mouthguards were twice as likely to suffer a concussion than players with custom mouthguards.

How Can I Get A Custom Mouthguard?

The first step in the process is scheduling an appointment with us at Dream Smiles. During this appointment, we will take an impression of your mouth and teeth and use this to create a resin mould. We will then manufacture a custom mouthguard based on this replica of your mouth and jaw. This means it will fit perfectly, providing an excellent level of protection for your teeth. If well taken care of, your custom mouthguard will last significantly longer than any store-bought variety, in addition to offering increased protection. While the price may be more substantial, it will almost certainly even out over time, especially when you inevitably take that hit to the face.

How Can We Help?

At Dream Smiles, we manufacture and supply custom mouthguards both for athletes and for those who habitually grind their teeth in their sleep. We are dedicated to ensuring the highest possible level of tooth protection, so whether you need saving from a smack to the face on the field, or from grinding your teeth down to stumps while you sleep, we can help.

To learn more about custom mouthguards from Dream Smiles, please have a look here.
To schedule an appointment, please contact us at 07 3344 1220 or drop us a line here.