If you have an athlete in the family, or are one yourself, you probably own a sports guard (mouth guard) of some sort. And if you don’t, you are probably encouraged to wear one more and more these days. It’s not just about protecting the aesthetics of your teeth, but the function of your mouth and jaw as well.
Many see the “boil and bites” and wonder what the difference is between those and the one custom made by your dentist.
The first benefit of the boil and bite is that it is inexpensive (average price, $2.00). It can be trimmed with a pair of scissors if it extends too far back in your mouth and causes a gag reflex. You drop it into boiling water, put it in your mouth, bite down and suck. After the process is done you have a mouth guard somewhat fitted to your mouth. However, when you bite down on the semi-melted mouth guards you compromise the thickness of the mouth guard when the upper and lower teeth come together into the mouth guard. This may not only cause the colliding and fracturing of your upper and lower teeth from a punch or landing on your jaw, but it may also cause jaw joint trauma. A mouth guard should create a gap to prevent TMJ injuries. Your standard boil and bites mouth guards offer minimal and in most cases no protection against such injuries.
Some boil and bite mouth guards have created a solution to the above problem. The price is now a little higher, ranging from $10-50. They have made them thicker and bulkier, rendering you practically speechless. In many sports you must be able to talk, so this is a problem. It also obstructs breathing, which for obvious reasons, is not desirable; and finally, come in standard sizes, which may be too small or too large for comfort.
At your dental office, old fashioned impressions (molds) of your mouth are taken, resulting in a custom set of guards. The price ranges from $150-700 in this area, depending on the type, style, lab, etc. Contact us today to learn more about how your McLean, VA dentist, Dr. Mary Gharagozloo. In addition to the benefits of giving you confidence in having superior protection against jaw and tooth injury, you will also experience increased performance because of greater oxygen intake, and better concentration and focus by not having to worry about a shifting, less protective mouth guard.
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