As many of you know, I am a proponent of custom athletic mouthguard use. For many years, I have offered a benefit to all my patients. I provide mouth guards at a significant discount, charging only what I am charged for fabrication. I recommend mouth guards for all athletes, including those who are only involved in sports recreationally.
Recently, I treated an emergency patient for a broken front tooth. The patient received an elbow to his mouth while playing pickup basketball in his driveway. The large break was repaired with dental bonding. Over the course of a lifetime, this will need to be repaired many times. It could require a root canal, or even possibly, an extraction. A mouth guard would have prevented this.
People who complain about about pain while wearing mouth guards have never worn a custom appliance. A custom mouth guard is far superior in comfort and fit than the over the counter “boil and bite” variety. The two can not be compared.
The process is simple. All it requires is a simple impression of the top and bottom teeth and a fifteen minute appointment to perfect the fit and optimize your comfort.
I urge you to make the small investment and wear a custom appliance for participation in all contact sports.