Mouthguards

Four Reasons to Wear Mouthguards

If you watch pro sports on television, you’ll notice that players in contact sports, and some in non-contact sports wear mouthguards. Why do you think that is? There are actually several reasons why mouthguards are a good idea. Here are four of the main reasons you should wear mouthguards if you play sports.

Reason 1: Protect Your Teeth from Fracturing

Mouthguards are designed to provide enough cushion for your teeth that they will not break on impact. If you get hit with a ball, or collide with another person your instinct is to clench your teeth. A tooth can break under that kind of pressure unless it’s protected by a mouthguard.

Reason 2: Protect Your Teeth from Moving

If you get hit in the mouth with something as hard as a softball or baseball, and you do not have a mouthguard in, it can break a tooth. However, it might not break a tooth, it might displace the tooth. Having a loose permanent tooth is reason to make a trip to the dentist office.

Reason 3: Protect Against Injury to the Soft Tissue

It’s more common than you realize for people to bite through their bottom lip. In most cases, it requires stitches to repair the damage. By covering the sharp edges of the teeth with a mouthguard, you keep your cheeks, tongue and lips safe from accidental biting.

Reason 4: Protect Against Jaw Fractures

It might not seem like it would be relevant, but wearing mouthguards might also protect against a jaw fracture. If you get hit in the head and the teeth come into contact with each other there isn’t any room for flexibility. However, if you have a mouthguard providing a flexible layer between the teeth, it can provide just enough padding to keep the jaw from fracturing.