If you’re playing contact sports, dental injuries are the most common type of facial injury. You need a mouthguard to stop broken or knocked out teeth, or, in worst cases – broken jaws.
Sports Safe Mouthguards – Custom vs. Store Bought
You can choose to purchase a ‘boil and bite’ mouthguard from the chemist or over the counter at other shops – they are cheaper than a custom option but there are myriad discrepancies between the two. Would you use the cheapest cricket bat? There’s a strong case to be made for visiting the dentist for your mouthguard.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of these different types of mouthguards so you are able to make an informed decision about what the best choice is:
| Store Bought (Boil and Bite) Mouthguard | Customised Dental Mouthguard |
| Pros: Cheap Cons: One Size fits all (?) Loose! Could fall out while talking to team mates on the field during play in rugby etc, Uncomfortable, bulky and possibly might not even extend to cover back teeth Not durable Potentially lots of $$$ to restore or replace broken/lost teeth | Pros: Customised to YOUR mouth Snug fit as it has been designed from a mould taken of your teeth providing Optimal protection Helps stabilise the jaw at point of impact Comfortable and easy to wear Durable – will last longer. Range of colours including multi-colours Able to have name put in mouthguard so no confusion in the dressing shed! Health fund will pay towards a mouthguard when you have Dental Cover Quick 15 min appointment Quick turn around (Only a couple of days!) Cons: More expensive than store bought. |
Are you concerned that you may not be protecting your teeth as well as you could be? Give the friendly team at Walloon Dental a call – we can put you at ease and get your mind back on the game!