Contact sports such as hockey or rugby are great fun but also expose teeth to risk and damage. However, taking the correct precautions can minimise you or your child’s chances of suffering a teeth-related sports injury.
Unlike bones, teeth do not heal. With no mouthguard in place, a blow to the lower face sends shock waves through the skull. A direct impact can fracture the front teeth. However other blows, particularly to the lower jaw, can cause a different type of damage. A blow to the lower jaw can slam the jaws together and the sudden impact of the relatively sharp lower teeth into the back of the upper teeth is like a chisel, causing a fracture of the upper teeth by punching them forwards. In some cases, the transmitted forces can lead to a fracture of the lower jaw, or will travel through the jaw joint (TMJ) into the base of the skull.
Why should I use a mouthguard?
Mouthguards act like a shock absorber, both spreading the force over a larger area and increasing the time for the peak force to occur. Dissipating the energy of the blow over a larger area and longer time reduces its effect preventing or vastly reducing any injury.
Mouthguards are made from a flexible and compressive material which allows the impacting object to slow down and reach a halt over a longer period of time and hence the resulting transmitted force is reduced.
Why should you buy an Opro custom-fit mouthguard?
2017 saw Opro celebrate its 20th anniversary so we like to think they know a thing or two about making mouthguards. Over the past 20 years, Opro have gathered data from over 1,000,000 mouths giving them the insight and expertise to be able to manufacture the best-fitting, most comfortable mouthguard possible. Opro have revolutionised the way mouthguards are made allowing them to produce the highest quality, most protective mouthguard in the world.
Opro Mouthguards are used by many professional sports teams including England Rugby.
What’s the difference between a custom-fit mouthguard and a boil and bite one?
Custom mouthguards adapt far more closely to teeth than boil-and-bites. The reason for this is simple – the machines that make custom mouthguards work at far higher temperatures than can be applied in the mouth and at pressures many times greater than can be produced by biting and sucking! For exactly the same heat and pressure reasons, the thickness of a Custom Mouthguard can be optimised in the laboratory, whereas a boil and bite will be thinner and will vary widely depending on the user.
How can I get a custom-fit mouthguard made for me?
It’s easy! Here at Arden House we offer Opro mouthguards in a range of different colours and designs. They also come in a range of different impact levels so you can choose the most appropriate for your age and sport. You will need to book an appointment with us to have an impression taken. This is a short appt with the dentist where you select the mouthguard you want and have impressions taken of your mouth. We will then send the impressions off to the Opro laboratory where they will create a mouthguard that perfectly fits your mouth and teeth. Your custom-fitted mouthguard will be available to collect from Arden House within 7-10 working days.
Latest news!
We’ll shortly be announcing a great offer on custom fitted Opro mouthguards so you can have one made in time for going back to school or the start of the new sports season.
To find out more, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or call us on 01242 512444 and ask about our Opro mouthguard clinics.
