Mouthguards
Investing in a mouthguard can reduce the chances of injury during contact sports…
At Campbelltown Family Dental we offer patients who visit our custom-made mouthguards. The mouthguard is a very small accessory but has a huge number of benefits. Many underestimate the difference a mouthguard can make in ensuring you are protected during contact sport. They are designed to absorb and distribute the forces of impact. Sports such as rugby football, hockey, martial arts and basketball (and many more that require contact) raise the risk of accidental contact of the face and mouth. This is important as although the face is designed to take some pressure, the mouth is left wide open to a variety of possible incidents during play.
Damage to the mouth…
Teeth are made of some of the strongest substances in the body but even they cannot withstand the pressure of hard contact during rough sports. Damaged, broken and even missing teeth are a common place in contact sports and those who engage in such games should exact caution before play. Any contact to the mouth, under the chin or to the jaw can indirectly affect not only your teeth, but soft tissue inside and outside of your mouth such as the lips, tongue, cheek and gums. By wearing a mouth guard, if you are struck, the mouth guard will absorb a lot of the pressure and cushion the gap between your upper and lower rows of teeth. In doing so, mouth guards can avoid:
- Tongue biting
- Tooth fractures
- Teeth falling out
- Cheek, gum and lip splitting
- Bleeding
- Jaw fracture
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) trauma…
Mouthguards are also required to support your jaw and your TMJ joint. The TMJ is a complex joint that allows our mandibular (lower jaw) to move. This joint is located right next to the ears and if damaged during sport can cause short and long term problems.
- Short-term: Trauma to the TMJ can cause temporary mobility difficulty (difficulty opening and closing your mouth, closing your teeth together). If the trauma is severe enough it could even dislocate your mandibular (lower jaw).
- Long-term: Many patients who suffered TMJ trauma in childhood or adolescence develop temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) as adults. TMD is when the jaw joint does not work properly and causes many patients pain and hinders their ability to eat. By wearing a properly fitted mouthguard you can reduce the potential risk of damage to the jaw joint by cushioning against the impact.
At Campbelltown Family Dental we strive to provide patients with custom-made mouthguards to ensure a perfect fit…
To ensure our patients are protected during play Campbelltown Family Dental strives to offer patients protection they can trust. Our mouthguards are custom-made to suit you and to ensure the best protection.
