Blog Coburg Dental Group

Custom fitted mouth guards provide sports players with optimal protection for their teeth. Their precise fit to an individual’s mouth means that players are not impeded by wearing them. This means that players are less likely to toss them aside mid-play and the chance of knocked-out teeth is reduced.  There is a vast difference in quality between custom fitted guards and off-the-shelf varieties and here’s why custom-fitted guards are best.

The case for custom-fit mouth guards

Points to consider:

• the Australian Dental Association and sports authorities all uniformly recommend sports participants wear professionally designed and properly fitted, custom-made mouth guards during all contact and collision sports
• custom fitted mouth guards are medically designed to match the exact structure of each player’s individual mouth, making them the most comfortable fitting mouth guard and the type most likely to be worn for the duration of play
• custom fitted mouth guards are designed for optimal oxygen flow and the more oxygen an athlete takes in, the better their performance, endurance, and communication will be
• special mouth guards are designed for certain sports such as martial arts and boxing.

The case against off-the-shelf guards

Points to consider:

• athletes often struggle with the bulky and uncomfortable nature of off-the-shelf mouth guards and discard them before the end of the play
• off-the-shelf ‘boil-and-bite’ mouth guards have been reported to impede breathing and speech
• generic ‘boil-and-bite’ oral guards bought over-the-counter are often cheap to buy because they’re chunks of rubber that can be easily chewed through
• off-the-shelf mouth guards have a looser fit and can be easily dislodged

Custom fitted mouth guards – the best choice

Custom fitted mouth guards provide sports players with optimal protection for teeth. Their precise fit to an individual’s mouth means that players are not impeded by wearing them. Custom fitted mouthguards can also benefit coaches, team managers, and sponsors as they minimise risk to sports players for whom they are responsible.

If you’re regularly on the playing field and want to know more about getting a custom-fitted mouth guard, please contact our friendly reception staff to make an appointment on 9386 1805.