Sports Mouth Guards
Edmonds, WA
 Here at Perrinville Family Dentistry we make custom-made mouth guards for our clients use in their sporting activities. Mouth guards, as the name suggests, are protectors worn in the mouth to protect your teeth from trauma during contact sports. They are also referred to as sports guards. Sports such as baseball, rugby, boxing, etc. are contact sports in which one will easily receive blows to the head and face. Your teeth might not be as strong as other parts of your body, and one strong blow could send them flying out of your mouth if you’re not wearing a mouth guard.
In many circumstances, mouth guards are worn over the teeth on the upper jaw. Ordinarily, the upper jaw is always a little bit ahead of the lower jaw when the mouth is shut. One guard on the upper jaw is, therefore enough. However, if your jaws or teeth are not perfectly aligned, or you are wearing braces or dental appliances, you’ll need a mouth guard on your lower jaw as well.
Types of Mouth Guards
Mouth guards are available in three types. You can have custom-made mouth guards, stock mouth guards, or boil and bite mouth guards. Custom-made mouth guards are specifically designed for you by our dentist’s. You’ll visit our dental clinic, and the dentist will take an impression of your jaws and teeth. The mouth guard will then be modeled from the impression. Custom-made mouth guards are the best option for many athletes. They offer the best fit, and they are quite comfortable to wear. They might cost a little bit more than the other types, but they are well worth it.
Stock mouth guards are the complete opposite. They are sold over the counter in pharmacies and general stores. They are pre-formed mouth guards that you can simply purchase and wear. While they are inexpensive, rarely will you find a perfect fit. They are often quite bulky, and they make it difficult to talk or breath.
Boil and bite mouth guards also preformed, but as the name suggests, you boil to softness, and then you bite into them and let them cool down. They adhere to the teeth and jaw taking their shape, hence offering a perfect fit. These are also available over the counter in pharmacies or sporting regalia stores. They offer better comfort than stock mouth guards but are still not as effective as custom-made mouth guards. The bottom line is, whichever type of mouth guard you opt for, it is important to ensure that it can offer optimal protection. It should be tear-resistant, strong, and comfortable. Ensure it does not hamper your breathing or speech.
Our custom made mouth guards are quite durable. Mouth guards need to be replaced after a while because they wear out, however. We recommend that you get a new pair of mouth guards during your half-year dental health checkup. Adolescent athletes might have to get new mouth guards sooner because their teeth and jaws tend to grow rapidly. A mouth guard needs to be replaced if it no longer fits properly, or if it tears. Call Perrinville Family Dentistry at (425) 616-0620 if you have any queries about mouth guards. |
Hours
(425) 616-0620 
Gary J. Jacky, DMD