Contact sports are one of the more common reasons why people suffer cracked, fractured or knocked-out teeth.
Playing a contact sport without a mouth guard can even lead to multiple teeth being knocked out, requiring more costly procedures to restore the function and cosmetic appearance of the affected teeth. In fact, estimates in the neighborhood of nearly five million teeth are knocked out each year among those who participate in athletic activities and contact sports.
But new research conducted by General Dentistry Magazine found that wearing a custom-fitted mouth guard, as opposed to a store-bought one, can reduce the chances of an athlete suffering a concussion! The study also found that wearing mouth guards reduce the chances of suffering certain minor brain injuries by half! And that’s in addition to a mouth guard’s first duty of protecting the teeth!
Some of the more common reasons that athletes cite for choosing not to use a mouth guard (of the store-bought variety) are related to the comfort of the fit in the mouth, or the mouth guard itself, making it harder to breathe clearly.
One effective alternative is to talk to Dr. Lichter about being fitted for a PlaySafe® mouth guard. These pieces are specifically designed to match your teeth for comfort, while opening up the wearer’s capacity to breathe more easily. They are also made from very durable materials, so with proper care, the PlaySafe® mouth guard can last for several years.
If you are interested in having Dr. Lichter help you with a custom-fitted PlaySafe® mouth guard, please feel free to call us at 619-591-8945 to schedule an appointment today. We are happy to be of assistance.
