Mouthguards In Shellharbour
Shellharbour City Dental provides you with a full range of dental treatment options and gives you the information you need to make the best possible decision about your dental needs or emergency dental treatment.
In Illawarra, we are lucky to have a great sporting culture. Sporting activity is a tremendous opportunity for your kids and people of all ages to stay fit & healthy, make lifelong friendships and have good fun. We throw ourselves into these activities, and at the end of the day, those lunges, slides, tackles and bumps are what give us the big grin, the stories and more often than not, maybe a bit of a bruise and some grass burn.
Generally, a bruise will mend, some grass burn may be a little annoying for a few days, even a broken bone will usually heal pretty much as good as new with a bit of help. But we only get one set of teeth, and injuries to teeth can be permanent. Here at Shellharbour City Dental, we see the more severe outcomes an unlucky mishap can have to teeth.
Why Mouthguards Are Important?
Dental trauma from sporting injuries mainly affects the front teeth, so when they happen, they can dramatically affect the appearance of the teeth. The injuries are varied, but the outcome is often the same: an ugly looking tooth that stares back at you in the mirror and pops up in photos. At Shellharbour City Dental, we have years of experience in correcting such defects. While it is often possible to achieve some truly spectacular repairs to severely damaged, displace, discoloured and even wholly lost teeth, this treatment is often time-consuming and can come at considerable expense.
Notably, most of these incidents would have been prevented simply by wearing a properly made and well-fitting mouthguard. There is much choice in the range of mouthguards available. Over the counter “stock” has no adaption to the teeth and “boil and bite” type, which is heated and adapted at home following the directions on the packet. These types of mouthguards offer minimal protection, and studies have demonstrated that the level of security is almost as bad as wearing no mouthguard at all. I know that surprised me too, and I do this for a living. For these reasons, the Australian Dental Association and Standards Australia only recommend using a properly made mouthguard that your dentist provides. They are custom-made to fit each patient, can be adapted specifically for the sport involved, will have the best chance of staying in place during an impact, be more comfortable, won't restrict breathing, and most importantly, offer the best protection possible.
How Much Does A Mouthguard Cost?
Compared to the cost of an injury, they are cheap and, in many instances, will receive a significant rebate from your dental health insurance provider so often, the out of pocket expense can be even less than the total purchase price of the over the counter products. So please don’t risk it and make sure you or your kids have the best protection possible. See your dentist have a proper mouthguard made.
