Many people have probably heard of dental mouth guards, even if they don’t use them personally. Sports guards are mouth guards that athletes will use when they’re either playing sports or practicing. People will wear these sports guards in order to protect their teeth.
Lots of athletes will run into problems with dental emergencies at some point during their athletic careers. These risks can be particularly pronounced with some sports, including football. The athletes that wear mouth guards instead will be less likely to develop these sorts of problems. People who participate in almost all contact sports are encouraged to wear these sorts of sports guards.
However, the people who spend a lot of time skating should also use these sports guards. Gymnasts tend to wear them as well. Some dancers will even decide to wear them. Lots of sports guards are very discrete, so it won’t look obvious if people are wearing them onstage in most cases. Modern sports guards were designed to be subtle as well as effective.
Wearing Sports Guards on a Regular Basis
The athletes who wear sports guards will be able to prevent a wide range of very serious problems in the long run. Even the athletes who don’t literally knock their teeth out during a game can still damage their teeth over the course of their athletic careers. They will tend to loosen their teeth or weaken their gums, especially if they specifically engage in contact sports. Wearing the best sports guards can prevent this sort of deterioration.
There’s also the fact that sports guards can be good for the teeth in general. People will tend to have fewer problems with dry mouths when they use these sorts of sports guards. Using mouth guards will cause people to produce more saliva, which can actually be good for the overall health of a person’s mouth. They will be able to maintain the pH balance in their mouths easily.
The people who have a tendency to grind their teeth will also have a defense against that problem when they use mouth guards of any type, and that is certainly the case with sports guards. Patients who wear mouth guards will have fewer problems with cracked or worn teeth, especially if they wear them frequently.
It’s also important to remember that the soft tissues of a patient’s mouth can be threatened by contact sports and similar activities. Patients can get sports-related injuries that will affect their gums, tongues, lips, and cheeks. Tongues tend to heal quickly, and this is also the case with the lips and the lining of the cheeks. However, people still won’t like having these sorts of injuries, which can be very disruptive to the patients who are just trying to continue with their daily lives.
Gum injuries can be much more severe. Some patients will have to seek help from emergency dentists as a result of certain gum injuries. Getting infections in the gum area is almost always very serious. A sports guard can prevent these sorts of gum problems, stopping patients from needing to seek out emergency dental help in the process.
People will truly protect their mouths in general using sports guards, and not just their teeth. They will maintain their teeth and stop many different catastrophes before they can even happen.
Getting Sports Guards
There are mouth guards that people can get at any convenience store. However, these generic mouth guards will not provide a lot of protection. These mouth guards are more helpful for the people who are trying to stop themselves from grinding their teeth in their sleep.
Ideally, patients should try to make sure that they get sports guards that were specifically made for them and for their teeth. Those sports guards will provide more protection. They will also be more comfortable and less visible. Everyone’s mouth is different, and those subtle differences really will matter for the people who are trying to find a way to keep their teeth safe every time they play sports.
Mouth guards of all kind will also need to be replaced fairly regularly. People will tend to go through them quickly when they wear them on a regular basis. The sports guards that were made for specific people will probably last longer than the ones that people will usually get over the counter. However, even these sports guards will wear out eventually. Once the sports guards start to lose their shape, people should consider getting new ones. They need to make sure that their sports guards are truly providing enough protection.
Removing Sports Guards
Generally speaking, patients should be able to remove their sports guards easily. Putting the sports guards into place initially should be easy, and they should be just as simple to remove. Some patients might feel mildly uncomfortable when they put the sports guards in for the first time. However, wearing a mouth guard is not like getting braces or using similar devices.
There shouldn’t be any pain involved. People who are in pain when they remove their mouth guards or when they put them in should consult with their dentists immediately. However, this typically won’t be a problem. Sports guards will be used as casually as most other pieces of athletic equipment, since they truly are pieces of athletic equipment today.