Nowadays, the use of mouthguards is becoming even more common because they help us to protect our oral and perioral structures in case of suffering a sudden accidental impact or blow, and their use is recommended when practicing certain sports or physical activity.

We must bear in mind that a tooth protector not only protects our dental structures, thus avoiding possible fractures, dislocations or even avulsions.

It also offers protection against serious injuries such as cerebral hemorrhage, jaw fracture or cervical injuries.

Imagine for a moment what it would be like if you suddenly lost one or two of your front teeth due to insufficient care; laughing, talking and even eating are simple actions that would be affected.

Preventing all these injuries to your mouth and face is highly important if you are one of those people who participate in organized sports and other recreational activities.

Mouthguards cushion any blow to your face, thus minimizing the risk of broken teeth and injuries to the lips or tongue.

A dental guard commonly covers your upper teeth and is an excellent way to protect the soft tissues that make up your tongue, lips and cheek lining.

Our upper teeth are the ones that take the brunt of any trauma or problem, since they protrude much more.

These and many more tips can be offered by the expert dentists you can find at ProDent, your bottom teeth are more protected by being a little further back.

When should mouthguards be used?

We can never forget that when it comes to protecting our mouth, a mouth guard is an extremely important piece of equipment that should be part of our daily routine and from an early age.

While many contact sports, such as boxing, pose an even greater risk to your mouth, any kind of athlete could also suffer from a dental injury.

In many non-contact activities there are also dangers, such as gymnastics and figure skating.

Know the types of mouthguards to take care of your teeth

The best mouthguard for teeth is one that has been custom-made for your mouth by the dentists at ProDent, however, in the event that you cannot access custom-made mouthguards, you will also be able to use a prefabricated mouthguard, or an adaptable boil-and-bite mouthguard that you can easily find at any pharmacy.

You will also have the option of using a prefabricated, or an adaptable boil-and-bite mouthguard that you can easily find at any drugstore.

Here is a short list of some of the mouthguard options available to you:

Custom-made tooth guard

These kinds of mouthguards are manufactured by some of our dentists at ProDent, of course these are a little more expensive than the other versions.

Their high cost is due to the fact that they are created individually, in order to make them more comfortable for the patient to wear them normally.

Boil-and-bite mouthguards

This tooth protector can be easily purchased in sports stores and pharmacies and offer a better fit than the prefabricated protectors.

Their use is very easy, the first thing to do is to soften them in water (they are boiled), and then insert them to allow them to fit better in your mouth.

Prefabricated protectors

These kinds of mouthguards are not so expensive and are already performed, completely ready to use, sometimes they do not fit your mouth in the best way.

They turn out to be very bulky and actions such as breathing and speaking become very difficult to perform.

Care and replacement of mouthguards

Go to ProDent for the best dentists in Tijuana to find out when it is the most appropriate time to replace your mouthguards.

But you can replace them immediately if you notice signs of wear, or if they no longer fit properly; teenagers and children can change their mouthguards more often.

Because their mouths grow and change over time, it is very important that you keep your mouth guards clean and dry.

Here are some tips to make sure your guards are always ready to use.

Always rinse your mouthguard after each use, you can also clean it with a toothbrush and toothpaste
Wash it frequently with the help of fresh, soapy water, then just remove everything with plenty of water
During the check-ups with the dentists at ProDent, don't forget to bring your gum shield to be examined, your dentist can also give it a thorough cleaning.
We suggest a thick container with ventilation to keep it dry and prevent bacteria from growing
Never leave your mouthguard in the sun, or in hot water.
Check if the mouthguard fits properly, and if there are signs of breakage or wear to see if it needs to be replaced.
If there are pets in your home, keep your toothpaste as far away from them as possible.

Activities requiring the presence of mouthguards

There are two groups of sports activities in which the risk of accidents must be taken into account, and for that reason the proper use of mouthguards.

Evaluate the use of a mouthguard if you practice any of the following sports activities:

Martial Arts
Boxing (English and free)
Soccer (American, Soccer)
Field hockey in all its variants
Basketball
Rugby
Lacrosse, among many others...

Medium-risk sports activities, but which also require the use of mouthguards:

Horseback riding
Scuba diving
Skydiving
Water Polo
Squash
Gymnastics, among others...

To conclude, we must emphasize that custom-made mouthguards offer patients a much more precise fit, excellent fixation, maximum comfort and a perfect adjustment.

In addition to this, they also offer you a perfect efficacy proven by numerous studies, so it is undoubtedly ideal to use this kind of mouthguard.

Before choosing any of the existing mouthguards, we recommend attending the ProDent dental clinic and carrying out the necessary analysis.

In this way we will be able to know which one would be advisable to use, and discard the idea of using any other one that could cause more injuries instead of offering us some help.

¡Make your appointment now at ProDent and consult with the best dentists!

What are mouthguards and why should we use them?