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Looking after your mouthguard

Looking after your mouthguard

Until quite recently, the only people we saw wearing mouthguards were professional athletes or people who played contact sports that put their teeth in danger.

Boxing, skating, hockey and rugby are some of the sports where there is a higher probability of your teeth undergoing some form of traumatism.

And indeed, it’s a fact that even the most experienced sports men and women suffer injuries. A fall while practicing our favourite sport can happen to any of us and so, apart for exercising extreme caution, you should consider ordering a custom-made mouthguard.

Your dental specialist will check to make sure that there are no sharp or pointed edges on the sides of the mouthguard as these could damage your gum tissue or your mouth or cheeks.

When we practice sport, we are usually more concerned about the possibility of muscular injuries, but we do not usually give any consideration to the mouth and dental injuries that we might suffer if we do not use suitable protection in that area.

Did you know that many marathon runners suffer bruxism? This is because they tend to unconsciously grind their teeth when they are running.

Fortunately, more and more people are now opting to protect their teeth when practicing sport.

The main sports that put your oral health at risk

 

1. Rugby

Rugby is one of the most aggressive sports that you can play. It might not be an extremely popular sport in Spain but still a large number of rugby amateurs and professionals usually visit their dentists to find a solution to some of the oral problems that they encounter as a result of practicing this sport.

Rugby is played while wearing a mouthguard, and this helps to prevent teeth from moving or breaking as a result of the multiple impacts that players are subjected to during a rugby game or training session.

el rugby

 

2. Boxing

The aggressiveness we see in boxing makes it one of the most dangerous sports as far as the health of our teeth is concerned.

Amateur or professional boxing involves the exchange of blows and punches that often result in tooth loss. Using a mouthguard in sports of this nature will help to protect your teeth, although on some occasions, a tooth could get damaged if the impact is very hard.

boxeo

 

Even though there is a greater chance of receiving an impact in the teeth or in the jaw in rugby or in boxing, there are also some other sports, such as football, basketball or skating, where experts recommend using a mouthguard to prevent mouth injuries.

Making your mouthguard your best ally

If you have decided to use a mouthguard to guarantee your oral safety while playing a sport, you should play special attention to maintaining and taking care of it.

The first step is to thoroughly clean your mouthguard once you have finished playing sport. You should focus not only on protecting your teeth while exercising, but you should also continue to protect them after you have finished using your mouthguard; otherwise, you will be allowing your mouth to come into contact with any new bacteria that might gather in the mouthguard.

We will now look at the steps that you should follow to achieve this goal:

  • Check to make sure that there is no damage on the surface of the mouthguard. Any protruding edges or tears could damage the enamel of your teeth or gums, so should dispose of the mouthguard if it is damaged.
  • Clean the outside and the inside with cold water. You can use a brush with medium hard bristles for this. Brush thoroughly as the aim is to eliminate as many bacteria as possible in order to prevent them from developing in the mouthguard.
  • Rinse the mouthguard with water and put in in a bowl or glass. Put an effervescent cleaning tablet in a glass and leave the mouthguard in the glass for 3 minutes.
  • Rinse the mouthguard again with plenty of water. Make sure to visit your dentist if you notice any discomfort.

 

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