In countries where contact sports are popular, like Australia, the UK and the US, the importance of wearing a mouth guard when playing contact sports is well-known. Every year thousands of people of are rushed to an emergency dentist in Fremantle, some of whom were wearing mouthguards at the time of the accident.
While mouth guards are never going to be completely infallible (there are times when the mouth guard gets knocked out before contact occurs), it suffices to say that they’re the best option we have. If you want to protect your smile, you need to wear a mouth guard when playing contact sports and this includes training, as accidents can happen at any time.
I Wear Braces, Do I Need a Mouth Guard?
If you wear braces, you need to wear a special mouth guard to protect your teeth as well as the braces that are improving your smile. People who wear braces are at greater risk of injuries to the lips and gums than other people due to the dental work, so don’t take any chances with your smile and the work that you’ve had done to improve it. Mouth guards for people with braces are different in several ways, such as:
- These braces are bigger, softer and more comfortable
- They provide better cushioning and support during contact
A mouth guard is a great investment in your dental health whether you wear braces or not, though if you do and you’ve spent a lot of money improving your smile, you have even more reason to wear a mouth guard.
The Risks to Your Teeth and Smile
Playing contact sports like rugby without a mouth guard puts your teeth and your ability to flash a beautiful smile at great risk. Visit fremantlesmiles.com.au to get a good idea of the types of emergency treatments available if you’re not sure of the risks that playing contact sports without a mouth guard poses! There are three categories of dental fractures that you’re at risk of, which are:
- Ellis I fractures – These fractures only affect the outermost layer of the tooth and aren’t usually sensitive to the touch.
- Ellis II fractures – The second category of dental fractures are sensitive to the touch as well as air exposure. There may be visible signs of damage to the tooth also.
- Ellis III fractures – The worst kind of dental fracture, these fractures involve damage all the way to the core of the tooth, which is a part of the tooth that can get infected.
You don’t want to suffer a dental fracture as this could cause long-term dental health problems, so always wear a mouth guard when playing any kind of contact sport at school, at club or with friends.
To sum things up, contact sports are a leading cause of dental injuries and many people are unable to smile the smile they’d love to show the world because of the dental damage they’ve sustained. To protect your teeth and ability to smile, always wear a mouth guard when playing contact sports.