For all types of sports, athletes depend on mouthguards to protect their teeth. Whether you’re playing basketball or a high contact sport like football, a mouthguard is a good investment. However, many athletes choose standard mouthguards they can boil and bite to fit to their mouth, and while they work well if you’re on a budget, they don’t offer the same benefits as a custom mouthguard.
Here are some reasons a custom fit mouthguard provides you an advantage as an athlete and an individual looking to protect their teeth.
More Comfort
The problem with a mouthguard you form fit at home is that it might fit better than a standard guard you simply take off the shelf and wear, but it still may not fit as well as custom fit mouthguards that a dental professional can fit for you in an office.
Moreover, the process involved in creating a boil and bite mouthguard uses thermoplastic materials that may thin out, compromising the protection the mouthguard is designed to provide as you fit it to your teeth. A custom fit mouthguard doesn’t have the same problems.
Better Oxygen Flow
Maximizing your breathing is important to every athlete regardless if your sport requires endurance fitness like soccer or short bursts of energy like football. Wearing a mouthguard custom fit to your tooth structure will help you breathe better than a standard mouthguard or a boil and bite guard because it’s designed to protect your teeth, not constrict your activity.
Customized for the Sport
While many mouthguards protect the top teeth only, a custom fit mouthguard a dentist fits to your bite can also provide a guard for your lower teeth. Depending on the sport, it might be necessary to protect the lower and upper teeth. Additionally, if you have braces or other dental appliance on your lower teeth, a mouthguard on your lower jaw might be necessary.
A dental professional such as an orthodontist or dentist will be able to talk to you about the options and determine what’s best for your sport.
Can Work with Braces
Unlike boil and bite mouthguards, a custom fit mouthguard an orthodontist can fit to your individual mouth can be fitted for athletes with braces.
More Durable
Thermoplastic materials are great if you want a quick mouthguard that fits your teeth to a point, but because of the heating process the materials go through, the materials are not as strong or durable. A custom fit mouthguard made by a dental professional uses the highest quality materials that are strong and long-lasting, providing the best protection today’s technology can provide.
Athletes on the go who make an investment in a custom fitted mouthguard know the value of what they’re getting. Protect your teeth and worry less about – contact Dr. Frost today at (314) 567-1888 for your consultation.
