Athletes can do a lot of damage to their smiles. A misplaced throw or a jarring collision can easily dislodge a tooth or even break a jaw, requiring extensive treatment by a dentist or specialist.

Fortunately, people who participate in sports can protect their smiles by wearing a mouthguard. Whether you’re aiming for a Division I scholarship or just lacing up your cleats for a rec league game, you should be wearing a mouthguard.

Those devices absorb and deflect the forces that the mouth may encounter during a game. In addition to protecting the smile, some research suggests that wearing a mouthguard may even prevent some of the negative effects associated with concussions.

The best mouthguards are those that are carefully crafted for you by a dentist. Boil-and-bite models may be available at your local sporting goods store, but a custom-designed version will fit better and outperform the alternatives.

In fitting a patient for a mouthguard, the dentist will take impressions of the mouth. Those impressions are then used to design and manufacture the mouthguard. This process ensures that the mouthguard is tailored to the unique structure of the patient’s mouth.

To protect their mouths when at play, many patients turn to a brand that has demonstrated value in other aspects of sports. Under Armour Performance Mouthwear™ offers the same high quality in mouthguards that patients expect from the manufacturer’s athletic apparel and equipment.

Some patients may be reluctant to wear a mouthguard because they feel that it compromises their ability to play the game. That’s not the case at all. In preventing injuries, mouthguards actually ensure that you’ll be able to continue to bring your best effort.

Additionally, a properly fitted mouthguard may prevent teeth clenching, which can release a stress-related hormone called cortisol that can have a negative effect on your athletic performance.

Prevent oral and facial injuries by wearing a mouthguard. At your next visit, ask about your options for a custom-designed device. Call our Denver office at 303-832-7789 for more information.