Every year, thousands of dental injuries and resulting complications occur as a result of playing sports without a custom mouthguard. Quite often these injuries could have been significantly reduced or avoided, saving you time, money, pain and inconvenience in the dental chair.
The cost of restoring teeth can mount up over a lifetime. Your small investment in a custom mouthguard may be the best solution to protect you or a loved ones smile, for life.
Custom Mouthguards
Your Dentist will custom make a mouthguard by taking an impression of your mouth. The impression is used to create a plaster model of your teeth. Each custom mouthguard can provide additional thickness in critical areas giving the best possible coverage and protection while playing contact sport. Our mouthguards are made from tough, tear resistant material and are completely odourless and tasteless. In addition, they are comfortable to wear and will enable you to talk and breath properly.
What does a custom mouthguard protect?
There’s a reason you need a custom mouthguard is to stop or at worst minimise any trauma within your mouth. Here’s a few things that a custom mouthguard will help with:
- Protection of teeth and gums
- Protection against chipped or broken teeth
- Protection of your cheeks
- Protection of your tongue
- Protection of your jaw, reducing the risk of joint injury.
- Protection of implants, crowns or veneers
- Protection of braces (if they cannot be removed)
- Protection of bridges
- Protects against biting and piercing lips
Why choose a custom mouthguard?
Although boil and bite mouthguards may offer a short-term solution and a cheaper, some studies have found they some provide such a low degree of protection that they are only slightly better than not wearing a mouthguard at all. These mouthguards also tend to be ill-fitting and uncomfortable to wear and can often hinder breathing. Custom mouthguards are comfortable to wear and won’t dislodge easily, and since it’s created from a mould of your teeth and gums, you will be able to talk and breath properly. You can also customise your mouthguard from a large range of colours and designs.
How long will it take for my custom mouthguard to be made?
We can make your custom mouthguard quite quickly without the need for lengthy dental appointments. During your initial appointment, we will take a detailed impression of your mouth and this is used to make your new custom mouthguard in the dental laboratory. Every mouthguard is individually designed and is thickened to provide greater protection in critical areas while still being comfortable to wear. The fit of your mouthguard will be checked at your next visit and then it will be ready for you to wear.
What sports should I have a custom mouthguard for?
With one third of all dental trauma or injuries being caused by a sporting related activity. Figures show that 75% of all oral injuries during a sporting activity were due to a mouthguard not being worn.
The Australian Dental Association strongly recommends the use of a custom fitted mouth guard (fitted by your Dentist) for the following sports.
- Cricket
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Netball
- Hockey
- Ice Hockey
- Soccer
- Water polo
- BMX bike riding
- Horse riding
- Skateboarding
- Trampoline
- Water skiing
- Gymnastics
- Lacrosse
- Martial arts
- Wrestling
- Volleyball
These sports have a higher level of contact so can contribute to a higher risk of sustaining a blow to the face, jaw, gums and teeth.
How do I look after my new mouthguard?
Looking after your new mouthguard is easy. You will simply need to rinse it thoroughly after each use to keep it clean and fresh. We can provide a perforated container for you to safely store your mouthguard and you will need to keep it away from direct heat as this could cause it to distort. We will check the condition of your mouthguard during your regular dental appointments, just to ensure it still fits correctly and does not have any rips or tears.
How often do I need to replace my custom mouthguard?
Mouthguards should be replaced every season, the cost of a replacement of a custom mouthguard is far less than the average dental bill caused by sports injury or trauma.
The difference between custom and off-the-shelf mouthguards
Off-the-shelf mouthguards are not the same as a custom fitted mouthguard by your dentist. Off-the-shelf mouthguards such as the traditional ‘Boil & Bite’ types are not designed specifically for the contours and shape of your teeth and mouth. They provide an inferior level of protection as they are made using generically shaped plastic. Store bought mouthguards can interfere with a players talking, breathing and drinking.
Due to the imperfect fit they don’t provide as much protection as a custom mouthguard, they can be more prone to move or slip out of the correct position leaving players more vulnerable to sustaining an injury upon impact.
How do I make an appointment?
To make your mouthguard appointment today book online. Alternatively, you can speak to a member of our friendly team on 1300 764 537.
