Summer is just about here, a time for fun, recreation, and quality family time. People are engaging in a host of outdoor activites. Summer sports leagues have started, and kids and adults alike are participating in various contact sports. All of these activities bring about excitement and fun, but they can also bring about a lot of pain and aggravation if you aren’t protecting yourself or your children. Helmets, knee pads, and shin guards are all widely used among sports enthusiasts, but mouth guards are often overlooked and dismissed.

According to the American Dental Society, over 80% of mouth injuries resulting in emergency room visits are sports-related. Many of these injuries can be prevented simply by wearing a mouth guard. When impact to the back of the head or under the chin occurs, the teeth clamp down immediately with a force so strong, it has the potential to break or fracture teeth, cause jaw trauma or breakage, and lacerate gums. Even the underlying bone supporting the teeth can become fractured or bruised.

Take some time and familiarize yourself with the different mouth guards available to you. Mouth guards that can be purchased at your local pharmacy are a great temporary solution, but they are not customized to your mouth, can be uncomfortable, and often fall out extremely easily, especially upon impact. Getting one made for you will cost more money, but molds get a precise impression of your mouth and gums ensuring a safe and accurate fit. Custom-fit mouth guards will not fall out on contact, and they are made from a better material than the typical pharmacy mouth guard, meaning that they are designed to more-effectively distribute the force and stress of a collision.

Not wearing a mouth guard can mean serious health and financial consequences. At Aesthetic Orthodontics, we have the technology to create customized mouth guards to avoid potentially life-altering incidents. So, next time you head out to the field or the arena, make sure you bring all of your equipment, including your mouth guard.