Mouthguards (Sports)
Seattle, WA
 Did you play a sport when you were in school? Do you still play a sport? Over three-quarters of adults in the US played a sport at one time in their lives. The most popular sport to play around the world is soccer. It’s not even close. Soccer is followed around the world. When the World Cup is played, over 3 billion people watched at least a portion of the games. Other favorite sports around the world include cricket, field hockey, and tennis. The sports we like here in the United States are distant members of the Top Ten.
No matter what sport you play, there’s a chance that you will get injured. The top sport for injuries worldwide is American football, followed by basketball, lacrosse, baseball or softball, and cheerleading. It doesn’t matter if you are an amateur or a professional, you need to protect yourself so that you don’t get injured.
Millions of people suffer from sports injuries each year - about 9 million people in all. Over 2.5 million people suffer from a blow to the face as a sports injury. This can cause serious problems with your teeth, which may even involve tooth loss. If you are not sure what we mean, give Queen Anne Family Dental a chance to talk to you about how sports mouthguards can protect your teeth.
Sports Mouthguards
We use mouthguards to help protect your teeth from sports injuries. They are made of soft plastic that is worn over your teeth to protect them. Sports mouthguards work to protect your teeth if you are hit in the mouth during play. This is important because any blow to the mouth can damage it, especially your teeth. Each sports mouthguard works to take the force of the blow and disperse it through all of your mouth so that the load is shared by all your teeth and gums.
Mouthguards work not only to protect your teeth and gums. They help reduce your chances of concussion. If you get a blow to the head, you might also get temporomandibular joint disorder, which will make it difficult for you to chew. TMD can be very painful - you might not be able to open or close your mouth. Repeated hits to the jaw can also lead to arthritis, which can be just as painful as TMD.
Mouthguards are meant to protect your teeth and gums from injury. A blow to the jaw can knock your teeth loose or knock it entirely out. A blow in the face might make your teeth shift around. Your entire bite may have changed. If you leave your injury untreated, your teeth may break or crack. You might also crack your fillings, inlay and onlay, veneers, dentures, and bridges.
If we find a cracked tooth during one of your dental exams, we will check for signs of bruxism and other oral conditions like oral cancer, gum disease, and bone loss.
Do You Need A Mouthguard?
We can make you a mouthguard quickly and easily. First, we make a mold of your teeth from an impression so we can make a mouthguard. When it’s ready, you can come back in for a fitting. We will want to check your mouthguard from time to time to make sure it is working properly. We offer oral appliances that look similar to night guards for patients with sleep apnea. Do you need a mouthguard? Why not give Queen Anne Family Dental a call at (206) 424-4450.
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