There are mouth guards for every need, budget, and comfort level.
Some make it easier to breathe than others.
Some provide better retention, support, and protection.
Still others allow speaking and drinking more freely.
The cost for the various types has a fairly wide range.
Pricing can be anywhere from $1.
99 to well over $100.
00.
Three basic types of protective mouthpieces are on the market today.
1) Stock Mouth Guards, which come preformed and ready to wear.
These are the least expensive and poorest fitting type available.
I would not recommend them.
2) Boil and Bite or Heat and Form Mouth Guards, which are a better alternative to stock guards, mold to your individual mouth.
This type offers many different options, prices, and sizes.
They are the most common kind of mouthpieces that people wear.
Most boil and bite products provide adequate protection at a reasonable price.
The type that I give my highest recommendation to are: 3) Custom Mouth Guards.
These are generally the best fitting and most protective type available.
Custom mouthpieces are great because they are made on a model of your teeth.
This custom fit allows freedom to talk, breathe, and drink.
The cost is usually between $100 and $150 if you purchase it from your dentist.
There are a few good dental labs, that you can purchase from online, that can give you the exact same product for a significant discount in price.
All other types of mouth guards fit into one of these 3 categories.
Ideally, mouth guards should provide the following: 1) they allow speaking and breathing, 2) they stay securely in place during action, playing sports, or at night-time (to prevent grinding), 3) they provide exceptional fit and comfort, 4) they are easy to clean, and 5) they are very durable, tear-resistant, odorless, and tasteless.
Most of the products available are designed to protect the upper teeth and gums, as well as the underlying bone.
Wearing a mouthpiece can prevent chipping and breaking teeth, root or bone damage, and other serious injuries.
These include jaw fracture, concussions, and neck injuries.
Certain instances will require more protection, such as having braces, or a recent injury to the jaw or teeth.
In these cases, you may want to purchase a product that protects both the upper and lower teeth.
Many people think that football players, hockey players, or martial artists are the only individuals that need protection.
This is a huge misconception.
The American Dental Association recommends wearing a mouthpiece for 29 different sports/activities.
Basically, whenever there is a chance of contact with other players or hard surfaces, protection should be used.
Common sense is always your best guide to who needs to be wearing mouth guards.
Before I close, I want to stress the importance of wearing some type of protection for your teeth when you are involved in any contact sport.
I see many, traumatic, dental injuries every year.
Most of them could have been prevented if the patient was simply wearing a mouth guard.
In addition, I rarely see injuries involving football or hockey players.
This is because it is widely accepted that all of these individuals wear protective mouthpieces.
The lesson here is that mouth guards work! Injuries to teeth and bone may result in dental treatment that could cost thousands of dollars.
By wearing a fairly inexpensive, protective mouthpiece, the risk for this can be significantly reduced.
Remember, any type of protection is better than none at all!