custom dental mouthguardSports injuries to teeth and gum tissue are more common than most people think.

Custom fitted mouth guards reduce the severity of, or prevent, injuries to the teeth and soft tissues of the mouth, especially in those who wear orthodontic appliances. More importantly, a mouth guard can prevent serious injuries such as concussion, cerebral haemorrhage, neck injuries and jaw fractures by lessening the impact of the lower jaw crashing into the upper jaw.

A mouth guard should be well-cared for, cleaned thoroughly after every use, and stored in its case when not in use.

While it may seem that football and hockey are the most likely sports to cause injuries, in fact almost half of injuries occur in basketball and baseball.  The American Dental Association recommends mouthguards be used in 29 sports: acrobatics, basketball, bicycling, boxing, equestrian, football, gymnastics, handball, ice hockey, inline skating, lacrosse, martial arts, racquetball, rugby football, shot putting, skateboarding, skiing, skydiving, soccer, softball, squash, surfing, volleyball, water polo, weightlifting and wrestling.