When you’re young, you don’t think about protecting your teeth when you’re playing sports. But you should. No matter what age you are, you should take measures that help you keep your natural teeth throughout your lifetime.
Shocking Dental Injury Costs
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 600,000 people visit the emergency room each year because of sports-related dental injuries. And more than 5 million teeth are displaced from their socket, or avulsed, due to sports. This can add up to more than $500 million spent on sports injuries to the teeth.
The best protection for your teeth during sports is a custom mouth guard. This can help to absorb the impact of a sports injury and greatly lessen the chances that you will have a tooth knocked out, fractured or chipped. It can also help prevent a jaw fracture or concussion if hit on the chin.
Statistics show than between a third and a half of all athletes incur a sports-related dental injury during their lives—most of which are not wearing mouth guards. Compare the small expense of even a custom mouth guard to the lifetime expense of replacing and maintaining an artificial tooth—this can cost upwards of $20,000 or more!
Types of Sports Mouth Guards
There are three basic types of sports-related mouth guards:
Custom mouth guards. This is generally created by your dentist from a mold taken of your teeth. This type is customized to provide the best fit and protection.
Boil-and-bite mouth guards. With this over-the-counter mouth guard, you place the pre-shaped mold into boiling water, which softens it, then bite into it to create a mold of your teeth. These mouth guards are often thick and bulky and do not “stay put” during wear.
Generic mouth guards. You can purchase a ready-to-wear, pre-shaped mouth guard. These types are a one-size-fits-all. But all mouths are different shapes and sizes. It would be difficult to find a generic mouth guard that provides security and comfort.
Sports Mouth Guards from Advanced Family Dentistry
Our dental facility at Advanced Family Dentistry has the capability and the know-how to create an exact fit for your sports-related mouth guard. And for your convenience, we can make that mouth guard right here in house. It just takes a few minutes to take a mold of your teeth, and then we use that mold to customize your mouth guard.
Whether you play basketball, football, tennis, lacrosse, soccer, or any other sport, invest in your teeth with a custom mouth guard.
When you need to see a family dentist—no matter what your age—make Advanced Family Dentist your home base. We’re located in Reston, VA to serve families of the Washington DC and Northern Virginia metropolitan area.
Dr. Sonny Kim is a Diplomat of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI), the highest education level for general dentists in this field.
Advanced Family Dentistry
Dr. Sonny Kim, DMD
11876 Sunrise Valley Dr, Suite 101
Reston, VA 20191
Phone: 703.390.9191
