23/02/2025
π¦·Avoiding Dental Trauma π€
Funnily enough, there is a difference when buying off-the-shelf mouthguards to ones created by your dentist. As the winter season approaches and contact sport is a go, it is important to make sure that your teeth are protected. There are 3 types of mouthguards available for purchase, off-the-shelf, boil and bite, and custom mouthguards.
The off-the-shelf mouthguard works by you simply taking it out of the packet and popping it in your mouth. These mouthguards can be bulky and unreliable as they do not conform to your teeth, the protection offered from these guards isnβt of the highest quality.
Then there is the boil and bite mouthguard, this has the same sort of issues as stock mouthguards. The way this mouth guard works is that it is immersed in hot water so it can conform to the shape of your teeth and mouth. Generally, this mouth guard can be seen as uncomfortable and not quite effective.
The best out of the three options is the custom-made dental mouthguards. These are widely seen as the best because the fit is better, they use quality materials, and they afford you maximum protection if you are injured as they absorb and redistribute the shock.
Purchasing a mouth guard comes with a cost issue for most people, it may be easier to purchase the $10 one from the chemist or sports store across the road but what you should think about is what will happen if they do chip/lose/break a tooth? This can be costly and the long-term expenses of fixing this tooth will outweigh the cost of purchasing a custom mouthguard.
But having any mouthguard is better than not having a mouth guard at all so we advise you to do what you can and be careful.
π¦·So, what do you do if something happens to your tooth in the middle of a game?
First thing is first, staying calm is imperative. Find the tooth and try to handle it by the crown only, if itβs clean place it back in the socket, if it is dirty, you can clean it by either rinsing it in milk or sucking on it until you reach the dentist.
If you have placed it back in the socket or have it sitting in milk, there is a chance that it will be able to be put back in your jaw when you reach the dentist. Usually, it is splint together with the other teeth to keep it in place, so it can reattach.
In other circumstances, if the root is still in but the tooth has been broken a different protocol applies. While you can still find the tooth that has been broken, in most cases it wonβt be able to be reattached. But you will need to get to the dentist straight away for them to be able to assess it. This is why it is so important to have a decent mouthguard, to minimise the risk of these things happening.
π¦·Why it is so important to be cautious when playing sport?
There is a lot of sport that is consider a βsafeβ sport but unless you are extremely cautious any sport has a risk involved with it, it is always smart to wear a mouth guard. Aside from sport, dental trauma can happen at any time β we just ask that you are being cautious and if you are playing sports, wear a mouth guard.
If you want to book in an appointment to get a custom mouthguard fitted, please give us a call.
Office: 9809 1768
Email: [email protected]
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