Play It Safe, Wear a Mouthguard in Glen Iris. - Tooronga Family Dentistry in Glen Iris

Each year, thousands of adults and children are treated for dental injuries that could have been prevented or minimized by simply wearing a mouthguard. The Australian Dental Association strongly recommends the use of a mouthguard in any sport or activity where collision or contact is likely. Often injuries in sports or activities that do occur are those we didn’t even consider to be a danger. It’s always best to ‘play it safe’ and wear a mouthguard to protect your teeth.

Who Needs a Mouthguard?

Sports such as rugby union and league, AFL, hockey and boxing are ‘no brainers’ because intentional collision are part of the game. But anyone who plays a sport or undertakes an activity where collision or contact to the face is a legitimate risk should wear a mouthguard too.

Since those participating in contact sports are aware of the risks and protect themselves, it is more often than not that accidental collision occurs when when they are not expected. Non contact sport such as cricket, basketball, netball, touch football, and soccer are often responsible for dental trauma.

The Damage

Dental trauma from sporting injury can include damage to the tooth nerve, fractured, cracked or knocked-out teeth, a broken jaw, damage to the tongue and cut lips. Unfortunately, a single case of dental trauma can lead to a lifetime of dental treatment in order to maintain the strength and health of the damaged tooth/teeth. Repair work does not last forever so a damaged tooth will often become a lifelong problem. Prevention is always better than the cure, so play it safe and wear a mouthguard.

Protecting your mouth

Dr. Kaufman and the Australian Dental Association recommend a custom-fitted mouthguard for all Australians who participate in contact sports or sports with high risk of dental injury.

A custom-fitted mouthguard that has been designed by Dr. Kaufman makes breathing and speaking are a lot easier and overall is a lot more comfortable than the ‘boil-and-bite’ counterparts. The risk with the mouthguards that you can purchase from a chemist or sports store is that they offer less protection. The “off the self” mouth guards are designed to adapt to a large rage of faces which makes them ill-fitted and loose in the mouth of most users. The outcome is that at the crucial time of impact they will shift and either make more damage or not protect the teeth.

Don’t risk your teeth and make an appointment to see Dr. Kaufman to keep your teeth safe.