Custom-fitted Sports Mouthguards Hervey Bay
Protect your smile from sports-related injuries with a professionally-fitted mouthguard
As an athlete, you need to have your head in the game. But it’s always best to keep your teeth well out of it! Wearing a custom sports mouthguard is the best way to protect your teeth from being chipped, broken, moved out of alignment, or knocked out altogether. A good quality mouthguard can also prevent jaw fractures and jaw joint and neck injuries. It can even reduce the risk of concussion.
Dental injuries are painful and can be very difficult to treat, especially if one or more teeth are broken or knocked out. A single injury can lead to a lifetime of potentially expensive dental treatment.
That’s why we encourage players of all ages in Hervey Bay to wear a well-fitted mouthguard during practice and at every game.
What is a mouthguard?
A mouthguard is an appliance that fits over the teeth and is worn when playing sports. In some sports, wearing one is a requirement and part of the player’s kit.
Many players buy their mouthguards off the shelf at pharmacies and sporting stores. These boil and bite guards aren’t nearly as comfortable or protective as professionally fitted “custom” mouthguards.
What are custom mouthguards?
Custom mouthguards are made by a dentist to fit an individual’s teeth and mouth. Because they are professionally fitted, a custom mouthguard offers the teeth maximum protection against sports-related damage. It does this by absorbing and dissipating the energy of the impact.
Their accurate, comfortable fit and protective qualities can’t be reproduced by off-the-shelf or boil-and-bite products.
Choose your own colours
At White Dental Co., mouthguards can be made in your favourite colour or to match your uniform! Choose up to two from our large range of colours.
No more lost mouthguards
Parents rejoice! Your child’s name and/or phone number can be permanently embedded into their mouthguard. If the mouthguard goes astray, it’s much more likely to be returned.
How are mouthguards made?
Our dentist, Dr Nick White, will first make an accurate mould of the player’s teeth and gums. He’ll send the mould to a trusted laboratory where a technician will make the mouthguard using high-quality material and a vacuum former.
The mouthguard will then be
- trimmed to cover all the teeth
- polished, so it’s smooth with rounded edges
- checked for accurate fit and optimal thickness
- placed in a protective box and returned to our practice where the player can collect it.
When should a sports mouthguard be worn?
A sports mouthguard should be worn whenever there is a chance that the mouth or jaws could be injured.
Sporting injuries can occur because of
- a collision (intentional or accidental) with another player
- unexpected contact with sporting equipment – a ball, bat or bike
- unexpected contact with other hard surfaces – goal posts, the ground, walls.
Injuries are more likely to occur in games with a high risk of contact, like AFL, but can occur in most others.
Keep in mind that teeth aren’t only at risk during organised sport. Mouthguards should be worn whenever teeth are at risk: at the skate park, riding their surfboard, or even trampolining in the backyard.
We strongly support the No Mouthguard, No Play policy that many Hervey Bay sports clubs have adopted.
Your mouthguard should be smooth, comfortable to wear, and secure
When wearing your mouthguard, you should be able to
- talk with your teammates (and cheer them on!)
- breathe easily while playing
- take a sip of water.
Your guard should be easy to keep clean and remain odour-free throughout the season.
Many players find their mouthguard can be worn for more than one season, but please bring it in each year to be checked before the season begins.
Why boil and bite and off-the-shelf mouthguards don’t adequately protect your smile
Boil and bite and other store-bought mouthguards are made of much softer materials than custom guards. They are notoriously difficult to shape and smooth. So you can expect
- your non-custom mouthguard to move or even fall out when you run or talk
- that you need to keep your teeth together to hold the guard in place. This may interfere with breathing, especially during exertion
- it will feel uncomfortable to wear (so you are tempted to take it and leave it out).
Other features of poorly fitted mouthguards include
- Excessive and uneven thickness
- The front part of the guard doesn’t completely cover the front teeth and gums
- Rapid wear and tear
- Thin edges that tear easily or are rough and therefore irritate the gums, cheeks, or tongue
- Rough surfaces that are difficult to clean, eventually causing the mouthguard to smell and taste unpleasant.
Preventing dental trauma
The Australian Dental Association has produced this short video about mouthguards. You can visit their website for more information. https://www.teeth.org.au/sports-mouthguards
Make an appointment to prevent injury to your sporty smile
Your teeth are precious. Give them the best possible protection whenever you play sports with a sports mouthguard, custom-made by the friendly team at White Dental Co.
Making an appointment at White Dental Co. is easy!
Call us (07) 4313 1777 during business hours or book online.
Or drop by to make a time at Suite 10 Madsen Medical, 17 Hershel Court, Hervey Bay 4655
