Western Advocate

Protect your precious assets with a custom mouthguard

Keep on smiling: Getting geared up for some fun winter sport? Make sure you check your family's mouthguards fit properly to provide the best protection and keep those teeth in place.
Keep on smiling: Getting geared up for some fun winter sport? Make sure you check your family's mouthguards fit properly to provide the best protection and keep those teeth in place.

This is sponsored content for Travis Dental

It can all go horribly wrong in seconds. Teams are locked in a game of footy or hockey and suddenly hands are clutching a bleeding mouth. Then there's the shock of broken or dislodged teeth, lacerated lips, or worse.

Accidental trauma to the face, mouth, and jaws can happen in any sport where there's a risk of contact to the face. Even in traditionally non-contact sports an accidental elbow or knee in the face can cause severe damage.

A well-fitting mouthguard is a simple way to minimise that damage. And not just physical damage - protecting yourself or your children from dental trauma through sport can reduce both time off work or school and avoid costly dental treatment.

Think you're covered by insurance when you pay your registration fee? Often coverage only applies if you're wearing the correct protective equipment, including a mouthguard.

But while dental injuries are the most common type of facial injuries in contact sport, the evidence shows many people don't regard mouthguards as an essential part of their sporting kit or their children's.

According to the Australian Dental Association, only around 36 per cent of children aged five to 17 years wear a mouthguard during sport.

What does a mouthguard do?

Bathurst dentist Emma Travis - herself an enthusiastic hockey player for the Kelso Hockey Club in the local women's competition - said a good custom-made mouthguard protects by cushioning teeth, jaws and surrounding soft tissue against impact.

"Teeth are precious - we only get one set - and they are difficult, expensive and painful to fix and replace," said Dr Travis.

"Contact with balls, sticks, fists can be part of lots of sports but unfortunately the mouth and teeth can come off second best.

"Injuries can include tooth fractures, often damaging or exposing nerves, teeth knocked out, fractures of the root of the teeth, and soft tissue damage to lips and gums.

"In severe cases you can have fractures to the bones holding the teeth."

What are the benefits of custom-made?

A mouthguard not designed specially for your mouth such as a "boil and bite" may not fit properly giving poor coverage over gums, bones and roots of the teeth.

It can easily fall out, or be knocked out (maybe taking your tooth with it), and move around making it uncomfortable to wear. It's likely to spend more time in socks and sports bags than mouths.

A custom guard is accurately made to the shape of the teeth and mouth which means it will stay put and offer better protection, Dr Travis said.

"It's generally thinner and tougher so it's easier to talk and breathe with the mouthguard in place," she said.

"The shape of the sides of the mouth can be controlled very accurately so we can use strong material that properly extends over gums but not too far that it will be uncomfortable.

"We can ensure the thickness is uniform so it's equally protective of all the teeth, not just the crown which is the part you can see.

"It's also important the guard covers the gum under the lip as far as it can go to protect the bone and roots of the teeth."

What's the process?

The first step is a trip to the dentist to have an impression taken and to select the type, colour and thickness of the guard to be made.

Manufacturing can take up to a week and then another appointment is needed to check the fit.

"Mouthguards wear out so check regularly for signs of wear and tear, splitting or thinning out where the bottom teeth bite against the guard," Dr Travis said.

"Children might need replacements because of changes when baby teeth fall out and adult ones grow, or during and after orthodontics."

"Every one to two years is the norm for adults depending on the sport and how often you play."

This is sponsored content for Travis Dental