Sports Guards in Wimbledon

Sports guards, also called mouth protectors or mouth guards are a device that can be worn over the teeth that protects from different blows to the head and face. These athletic equipments can be used at the time of taking part in several sports where body contact, flying equipment and falls are involved. This may include – baseball, basketball, football, hockey, gymnastics, mountain biking, skateboarding and activities that can cause mouth injury.

Mouth guards usually cover the upper teeth and are made to protect you from broken teeth, cut lips and other damages caused to the mouth. If you are wearing braces or fixed appliances like bridge on the lower jaw, the dentist may ask to wear a mouth protector for the teeth.

Different kinds of sports guard

Sports guard should be comfortable, resilient and tear-resistant no matter what kind you may select. It should fit properly and not restrict your breathing or speech. There are three kinds of mouth guards and these include:

Custom-made mouth guards

These are made individually intothe dentist's clinic or a laboratory. They offer the most suitable fit and protection for your mouth. The dentist will create an impression of the teeth and then form the mouth guard accordingly. Though they are very expensive, these mouth guards make you feel better and athletes mostly prefer using customised mouth guards.

Boil and bite mouth guards

They are available in a pre-formed shape that can be changed by boiling mouth guard in the water and then biting into a warm plastic for customized fit. They can be purchased from different sporting goods stores, and offer much better fit than stock mouth protectors.

Stock mouth guards

These come in pre-formed and are ready to wear. They do not fit properly and are inexpensive. They can make talking and breathing quite difficult.

Mouth guards should be replaced from time to time as they can wear down over time thus, becoming less effective. The replacement is very important for adolescents as their teeth develop into adulthood and their mouthstart growing. Athletes who play sports have new mouth guards that are prepared when they go for dental checkup in every six months.