A mouth guard is the best ally to protect teeth from strong impacts. It is an element whose use is especially important among lovers of extreme or contact sports, since they have a much higher risk of suffering dental trauma.
For many athletes, the dental protector becomes an essential element to protect both their smile and their oral health. But not only that: they also protect against loss of consciousness from the blow, neck injuries, concussions and vision problems derived from the impact.
Mouth guards have been on the market for almost a century, and little by little their design, materials and objectives have been perfected. The first to use them were boxers, in the 1920s – 1930s. Currently its use extends to most sports and recreational activities where there is a risk of contact with another person, instruments or with the ground.
Its use is recommended for both professional and amateur athletes. There are studies that ensure that athletes who do not use them are 60% more likely to suffer some type of damage to their teeth. In this article we tell you all about the types of mouth guards that exist and we explain in which cases you should use them. If you want to know it from the professionals, you can visit Dentista.
What is a mouth guard?
It is a protective dental splint. The mouth guard is a piece made of flexible plastic, or laminated material, that is placed on the teeth to avoid injuries when practicing extreme sports or with a high risk of suffering impacts. It is also placed when doing contact activities such as boxing or martial arts.
What are mouth guards for?
The function of mouth guards is to cushion the impact when we receive a blow to the face. Specifically in the oral structures. In this way, we avoid breaking or losing a tooth, or damaging the jaw or alveolar bone.
A mouth guard is one of the types of discharge splints that exist and is specialized in the protection of the teeth, alveolar bone, jaw and soft tissues such as the inner cheeks, tongue and lips. It also protects the temporomandibular joint and the brain in a certain way, as they are directly connected to the face area.
The mouth guard is more important than it seems: it absorbs the impacts on the jaw or upper jaw , preventing loss of consciousness, neck injuries or brain hemorrhages.
In general, the mouth guards cover the upper teeth since, being on the outside, the lower teeth are more exposed and are the ones that usually receive the full force of the impact.
What kinds of injuries can be avoided by wearing a mouth guard?
A tooth guard helps maintain good oral stability and prevents a contusion from causing:
Types of mouth guards
There are several types of mouth guards. When choosing one, you must bear in mind that it is very important that it adapts as well as possible to your teeth. The reason? It makes them more comfortable and allows them to better protect the teeth and mouth.
In general terms, you can find 4 types of mouth splints on the market.
- Standard, pre-made or classic mouth guards
These types of mouth guards do not require any preparation before use. You just take them out of the box, rinse them, and put them in your mouth. It is easy to buy them in sports stores or pharmacies.
Since the mouth is not the same size in all people, these protectors do not always fit perfectly and can be uncomfortable. They often do not adapt well and fall off easily.
They are sold in different sizes: small, medium and large. They have the disadvantage that they wear out quickly and have to be changed every so often. They tend to remain loose in the mouth, so they can be uncomfortable when speaking or breathing.
- Mouth guards for boiling and biting, or semi-adaptable
These dental protectors are also bought in sports stores, online pharmacies, or warehouses of supplies for dental clinics.
They consist of plastic bases that are boiled in water and then molded into the mouth and pressing on the teeth, providing a better adaptation to the bite of each patient. Like standard ones, they tend to wear out quickly and don’t last long.
- Vacuum formed mouth guards
This is a type of protector that is custom molded in the dentist’s office.
The dentist takes a digital impression of your teeth and later the dental protector is made adapting to said impression.
Although they are generally more expensive than anterior protectors, they have the advantage that they adapt perfectly to the teeth, that they are not loose and they are more comfortable.
This type of mouth guard, although custom made, also tends to wear out quite easily if it is made from thin acetate to make it more comfortable during speech and breathing.
- Pressure laminated mouth guards
They are mouth guards made of a much thicker material than the previous ones, which provides greater protection against dental trauma, bone trauma or a contusion, as well as greater durability.
They are made to measure and you must visit the dentist. They are more durable and comfortable but are more expensive than all the previous ones.
The dental guards that your dentist makes do not have the big problems of standard splints: they do not fit too large, so they do not loosen and you do not have the risk of them falling off.
