Many people look forward to the warm, sunny weather that comes with summer’s arrival so that they can engage in outdoor activities. Physical activity is fun and keeps you healthy, but contact sports like football or basketball may pose a danger to your smile.
Fortunately, with help from your dentist, you can keep your smile safe while you play sports thanks to mouthguards. Your dentist can build a custom mouthguard for you to wear over your teeth to cushion them against potential dangers.
You may feel more encouraged to talk to your dentist about this preventive dental care when you know more about this treatment. Review responses to frequently asked questions regarding mouthguards provided by your dentist when you read on.
How Can Impact Trauma Hurt My Smile?
When you play contact sports like soccer or football, players might bump into one another. This can cause an elbow to fly to the face or a fall into the ground face-first. If you sustain a blow to the face, the impact will exert trauma on the mouth, which can cause several types of problems.
You might suffer an injury to a tooth, such as a crack, chip, or fracture. Not only will tooth breakage affect your smile’s appearance, but it also creates a vulnerable spot on the tooth where bacteria can penetrate. This heightens your risk of an infection or tooth decay.
Impact trauma can also cause a tooth to be knocked out of its socket. If you lose a tooth this way, you will need to take emergency action with your dentist to save it and restore it to your smile. Otherwise, a missing tooth can introduce serious complications to the function, aesthetics, and health of your smile.
Even if you are careful as you engage in physical activities, accidents can happen to the best of us. For this reason, you should discuss preventive measures with your dentist that can protect your smile while you play sports.
What Are the Benefits of Wearing a Mouthguard?
You can preserve the look and feel of your smile as you play contact sports this summer when you wear a mouthguard. The mouthguard is a smooth, thick plastic appliance worn over the teeth. It is free from sharp edges so that you can feel comfortable as you wear it.
Some people may worry that the mouthguard will feel too bulky and distracting. But when you receive a custom mouthguard from your dentist, the appliance will fit specifically to your teeth.
This ensures a secure and comfortable fit that will protect your smile without disrupting your sporting event. You can still breathe and speak around the guard with ease.
The mouthguard protects the smile by serving as a shield over the teeth. If you receive a blow to the face, the guard will absorb the impact and cushion the teeth. This way, you will not break or knock out a tooth if this accident occurs.