In Illawarra, we are lucky to have a great sporting culture. Sporting activity is a tremendous opportunity for your kids and people of all ages to stay fit & healthy, make lifelong friendships and have good fun. We throw ourselves into these activities, and at the end of the day, those lunges, slides, tackles and bumps are what give us the big grin, the stories and more often than not, maybe a bit of a bruise and some grass burn.
Generally, a bruise will mend, some grass burn may be a little annoying for a few days, even a broken bone will usually heal pretty much as good as new with a bit of help. But we only get one set of teeth, and injuries to teeth can be permanent. Here at Shellharbour City Dental, we see the more severe outcomes an unlucky mishap can have to teeth.
Notably, most of these incidents would have been prevented simply by wearing a properly made and well-fitting mouthguard. There is much choice in the range of mouthguards available. Over the counter “stock” has no adaption to the teeth and “boil and bite” type, which is heated and adapted at home following the directions on the packet. These types of mouthguards offer minimal protection, and studies have demonstrated that the level of security is almost as bad as wearing no mouthguard at all. I know that surprised me too, and I do this for a living. For these reasons, the Australian Dental Association and Standards Australia only recommend using a properly made mouthguard that your dentist provides. They are custom-made to fit each patient, can be adapted specifically for the sport involved, will have the best chance of staying in place during an impact, be more comfortable, won’t restrict breathing, and most importantly, offer the best protection possible.
