Tips on choosing, using and caring for mouth guards

  • Published
  • By MacDill Preventive Dentistry Flight
  • 6th Dental Squadron
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Did you know that 95 percent of all football concussions are transmitted through the lower jaw to the brain? It's been estimated that during any single season an athlete participating in a contact sport runs about a 10 percent chance of experiencing some sort of orofacial injury. This totals to more than 5 million teeth being knocked out each year during sports activities! Don't take your teeth for granted. Protect your smile with a mouth guard.

Types of Mouth Guards
Sports mouth guards are plastic dental appliances that help to protect your mouth's hard and soft tissues from damage in case of traumatic blows and collisions that can otherwise lead to concussions and brain injuries. There are three types of sports mouth guards: stock, boil and bite, and custom. All guards are made of plastic, but they differ in design, composition, and method of fabrication.

Stock mouth guards are poor fitting and rarely recommended. They usually come in sizes small, medium, and large only. They must be clenched between the teeth to stay in place, and this clenching activity can make it difficult for you to speak and breathe, which in turn makes it uncomfortable to wear.

A "boil and bite" mouth guard is made out of thermoplastic materials. They are easily available at minimal cost at many retail outlets and can be considered do-it-yourself mouth guards. You can customize the fit of the mouth guard by immersing it in hot water and subsequently mold the guard with fingers, lips, tongue, cheeks, and biting pressure. The retention of this type of mouth guard can be expected to be better than a stock guard.

Custom mouth guards are made on a plaster cast replica of your actual teeth, so they fit extremely well and are very retentive. This type of guards, if designed well, is considered to be able to provide the greatest level of protection with less interference to speech and breathing compared to either a stock or boil and bite guard. The comfort of a custom mouth guard is also superior.

Mouth Guard Maintenance
Before and after each use, rinse it with cold water or with an antiseptic mouth rinse. You can clean it with toothpaste and a toothbrush too.
When it's not used, place your mouth guard in a firm, perforated container. This permits air circulation and helps prevent damage.
Avoid high temperatures, such as hot water, hot surfaces or direct sunlight, which can distort the mouth guard.
Check it for tears, holes and poor fit. A mouth guard that's torn or in bad shape can irritate your mouth and lessen the amount of protection it provides.
Have regular dental checkups and bring your mouth guard along so the dentist can make sure it's still in good condition.

The MacDill Dental Clinic is able to provide custom mouth guards for Active Duty Air Force members participating in contact sports, particularly intramural activities. If you require a mouth guard, please call the MacDill Dental Clinic at 827-9400 to schedule an appointment.

(Editor's note: Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., and www.sportsguard.com contributed to the content in this article)