Whether purchasing equipment for your child’s peewee football team or your weekend dodgeball league, mouthguards are an essential part of any sports outfit. Wearing one will protect you from issues that could send you to the emergency dentist. Here are some of the biggest reasons to protect your pearly whites during practices and games.

3 Reasons to Wear a Mouthguard When Playing Sports 

1. Protect Your Teeth 

Mouthguards can protect the teeth from relatively forceful impacts. If the device fits properly, it will prevent chips, cracks, and fractures should a stray ball or limb hit you. While universal guards are available, a custom device—which you can get from your dentist—will provide the most protection when playing contact sports. 

2. Prevent Soft Tissue Injuries 

If you’re wearing a mouthguard, you won't be able to bite your tongue or lips. This is an especially prevalent issue in sports that involve forceful impacts, like boxing or football. As long as the device is intact, though, it will provide a barrier between your teeth and tongue. 

3. Reduce the Risk of Concussion 

Mouthguards that hug the teeth perfectly help absorb the shockwaves of sudden impacts, thereby reducing the incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Concussions are a mild form of TBI, and are fairly common among athletes who play contact sports. While they don't typically cause permanent damage, a history of head injuries in childhood has been linked to cognitive issues later in life, so make sure you or your child wears a mouthguard to prevent these problems.

If anyone in your family needs a custom mouthguard, turn to J. David Fisher Jr., DDS. Practicing out of a state-of-the-art office in Sanford, NC, this friendly dentist has more than 40 years of experience in the field. Treating children, seniors, and everyone in between, he and his team make themselves available to patients by accommodating same-day emergencies and performing procedures after-hours as needed. To make a dentist appointment for you or someone you love, call (919) 776-0741 or reach out on his website.