Daily exercise is an important part of a healthy, active lifestyle. For children in particular, sports are an important part of everyday life. However, without taking the right preventive steps, many patients may find themselves facing dental accidents or emergencies during athletic activities. To help protect your smile from possible damage, consider investing in a custom sports guard.
The Advantage of a Professional Sports Guard
Similar in size to an orthodontic retainer, sports guards are designed to prevent teeth from accidental fracture or avulsion when playing sorts. As upper teeth are most prone to trauma, this mouth guard is worn on the top arch, protecting the lips, cheeks, and tongue from sudden bites as well as teeth.
There a number of different sports guards available, ranging from inexpensive stock mouth guards designed to fit all sizes to homemade boil-and-bite guards which are created at home. While these options are fairly inexpensive, they often lack the total coverage needed to effectively protect the entire smile, leaving patients vulnerable to the risk of costly preventive care in the future.
Professionally made sports guards offer the greatest dental coverage. Unlike boil-and-bite or stock mouth guards, these high-quality oral devices are made by your dentist using impressions of your smile. The result is a uniquely customized sports guard that is precisely shaped to fit your arch without the need for additional care.
In addition to protecting natural teeth, professional sports guards can be tailor-made to cover existing or ongoing dental work. For patients undergoing braces treatment or those with fixed bridge treatment, a custom made mouth guard is necessary in order to protect the progress of treatment as well as prevent damage to the mouth.
Custom Sports Guards in Fredericksburg
At Fredericksburg Dental Center, we believe that comprehensive dentistry is the key to lasting dental health. In addition to routine preventive cleanings and check-ups, we work with a local lab to create customized sports and night guards for patients of all ages. For patients who have experienced a sports-related dental injury, Dr. Stewart offers comprehensive emergency dentistry and restorations. Contact our family practice today to learn more.