A lot of good things come from playing sports. For starters, they can keep you motivated to stay fit and get some exercise. Sports also can provide lessons on how to handle both victory and defeat. Life doesn’t always go our way, but picking ourselves up and trying again can show us the value of practice and persistence.
At the same time, we accept that there is a risk of injury in sports. Some might even call it a rite of passage for athletes.
A scraped knee or a bruised arm will heal, but a dental injury can be more lasting. That’s why it’s especially important to wear the right kind of protection whenever you are playing or practicing any high-impact sport.
If you live in or near Johnson City, NY, we can make custom-designed mouthguards for you and your family. To get one from the general dentist office of Dr. Jerry Farrell, call 607-304-3993 today to make an appointment.
The Best Protection
If you’ve visited any sporting goods store or department, you’ve probably seen a selection of “boil and bite” mouthguards on display. Can these provide some protection against injury? Yes, they can, and it’s better to wear one of these than it is to wear nothing at all.
It’s similar to how wearing a seat belt is better than not wearing it while you are driving.
But let’s say you weren’t just driving to work or taking your kids to school. Let’s say you were participating in a stock car race. Would still feel OK wearing a seat belt like you have in your family car? Or, would you want a five-point harness, which is what all race drivers wear?
Professional drivers don’t want to get injured, but they also know that accidents happen on the track. It’s why they take precautions to provide the best protection possible.
When you are on the field competing, moving at high speeds, and objects and equipment are flying around you, those are not everyday circumstances, either. Getting hit in the mouth or jaw with a ball or an elbow is not something anyone is trying to do, but these things do happen.
If it happens to you or someone you care about, you want them to be protected.
Unfortunately, over-the-counter mouthguards tend to be bulky. This interferes with your ability to speak to teammates on the field. They can interfere with your breathing, and they can be uncomfortable to wear. Many athletes don’t wear them for those reasons.
By getting a custom-fitted mouthguard, you will be getting better protection from something smaller, and therefore more comfortable. With this kind of mouthguard, you can breathe, drink water, and talk to your teammates without taking it out.
What are High-Impact Sports?
The American Dental Association has been recommending that people wear mouthguards during all high-impact sports for 50 years. So what are they?
The obvious ones are sports that involve frequent physical contact between athletes. Football, hockey, and combat sports such as boxing, mixed martial arts, and wrestling come to mind.
Less obvious may be sports that involve lots of speed changes, changes of direction, jumping, and flying objects (e.g. balls, pucks, etc.).
Basketball, baseball, mountain biking, soccer, softball, and volleyball are just a few of the many examples of this. We can’t list every sport possible, but we think this will give you some good idea if you should be wearing a mouthguard during your sport(s) of choice.
Keep Smiling
Win or lose, your daily life will continue whenever you leave the court or the field. That’s why you want to protect your smile while you are competing.
Fill out our convenient online form or call 607-304-3993 today. Find out what we can do at Dr. Farrell’s office to keep your smile looking its best.