Living and working here in Brentwood, I have had the privilege of watching our local student athletes grow and excel. From the intense football games under the Friday night lights to the fast-paced lacrosse matches and basketball tournaments, the level of talent in our community is truly impressive. As a periodontist and someone deeply invested in the health of our neighbors, I love seeing our youth stay active and competitive. However, there is one aspect of their equipment bag that often gets overlooked until it is too late: their dental protection.
I want to talk to you today about why custom sports mouthguards are just as essential as a helmet or a pair of high-performance cleats. In my practice, I have treated too many dental emergencies that could have been easily prevented. When we talk about athletic gear, we often focus on performance, but we need to prioritize longevity and safety. Your smile is meant to last a lifetime, and my goal is to ensure it survives every season intact.
The Reality of Dental Injuries in Student Sports
It is easy to think, “It won’t happen to me.” We see professional athletes taking hits and getting right back up, and we assume our teeth are just as resilient. The truth is, dental trauma is one of the most common types of injury in youth sports. It is not just about getting hit by a ball or a puck; it is about the elbows in the paint during a basketball game, the collision at home plate, or even an accidental fall during gymnastics.
According to the American Dental Association, athletes who do not wear mouthguards are 60 times more likely to suffer damage to their teeth. That is a staggering statistic. We are not just talking about a chipped tooth that can be bonded back together. We are talking about root fractures, tooth avulsion (where the tooth is knocked completely out), and damage to the jawbone itself. These injuries are painful, traumatic, and often require years of expensive restorative work.
When you are in the heat of the game, your adrenaline is pumping. You are focused on the win. You shouldn’t have to worry about whether your teeth are safe. That is where I come in. By providing custom protection, I give athletes the peace of mind to play harder and with more confidence.
Store-Bought vs. Custom: Understanding the Difference
One of the most common questions I get from parents in Brentwood is, “Why can’t I just buy the boil-and-bite guard from the sporting goods store?” It is a fair question. Those options are cheap and readily available. However, in the world of dental protection, you truly get what you pay for.
The “Boil-and-Bite” Problem
Store-bought mouthguards are essentially generic trays. You boil them in water and bite down to shape them. While this offers some level of protection, it is rarely adequate. Here is why:
- Poor Fit: These guards rarely fit perfectly against the gums and teeth. They often feel loose, forcing the athlete to bite down constantly just to keep them in place. This distracts from the game and causes jaw fatigue.
- Bulkiness: To accommodate everyone, store-bought guards are made large and bulky. This excess material can trigger a gag reflex and make it difficult to breathe heavily during intense cardio.
- Communication Issues: Try shouting a play to a teammate with a generic piece of rubber in your mouth. It muffles speech, which hinders communication on the field.
- Lower Protection Levels: Because the material thins out unevenly when you bite into it during the molding process, you often end up with thin spots that offer very little shock absorption where you need it most.
The Custom Advantage
When you come to my office for a custom solution, the process is entirely different. We take a precise impression of your teeth. This mold allows us to create a guard that fits your unique dental anatomy like a glove. It snaps into place and stays there without you having to clench your teeth.
The difference in comfort is night and day. Because it fits perfectly, we can trim away the excess material that usually causes gagging. We ensure the thickness is appropriate for your specific sport—heavier for football, lighter for soccer—while maintaining maximum shock absorption.
Performance Enhancement Through Comfort
We often talk about mouthguards as safety devices, but I firmly believe they are performance devices as well. Oxygen intake is critical for athletic performance. If you are fighting to breathe because of a bulky piece of plastic in your mouth, your muscles aren’t getting the oxygen they need to perform at their peak.
Custom sports mouthguards allow for unobstructed airflow. You can breathe naturally. Furthermore, because you aren’t clenching your jaw to hold the guard in place, you reduce tension in the facial muscles and neck. This might sound minor, but over the course of a two-hour game, that energy conservation adds up. You stay fresher, longer.
Additionally, clear communication is vital in team sports. Whether you are a quarterback calling an audible or a goalie directing the defense, you need to be heard. A custom fit stays tight against the upper teeth, allowing your tongue to move freely so you can speak and shout clearly.
Protecting More Than Just Teeth
While my primary job as a dentist is to look after your teeth and gums, a high-quality mouthguard protects the surrounding structures as well. A significant impact to the lower jaw can slam it into the upper jaw with tremendous force. A custom mouthguard acts as a shock absorber, cushioning this blow.
This cushioning effect helps protect the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ). TMJ injuries can be incredibly painful and long-lasting, leading to chronic jaw popping, clicking, and headaches. By separating the mandible and maxilla with a layer of custom-molded material, we reduce the risk of these joint injuries significantly.
There is also the soft tissue to consider. Many oral injuries in sports involve the lips and cheeks being cut against the sharp edges of the teeth during an impact. A smooth, custom-fitted guard covers these sharp surfaces, preventing lacerations that would otherwise require stitches.
The Financial Perspective: An Investment in Health
I understand that raising a student-athlete in Brentwood is an investment. Between club fees, uniforms, travel, and training, the costs add up. However, I encourage you to view a custom mouthguard not as an expense, but as an insurance policy for your child’s smile.
Consider this data point from the National Youth Sports Foundation: they estimate that the lifetime cost of a lost permanent tooth can range between $10,000 and $20,000. This includes the initial emergency care, the cost of an implant or bridge, and the periodic replacement of those restorations over a lifetime. Compared to that financial burden, the cost of a custom mouthguard is negligible.
Furthermore, navigating dental trauma is emotionally taxing. It involves pain, time away from school and sports, and potential self-esteem issues regarding one’s appearance. Preventing the injury is always superior to treating the damage.
Who Needs a Custom Mouthguard?
The short answer is: anyone participating in a sport where there is a risk of contact with other players or hard surfaces. The American Dental Association recommends mouthguards for dozens of activities.
Here in Brentwood, the most common sports requiring protection include:
- Football: High impact is guaranteed. Protection is non-negotiable.
- Basketball: Surprisingly, basketball has one of the highest rates of dental injury due to flying elbows and lack of face masks.
- Lacrosse and Field Hockey: Sticks and hard balls moving at high speeds create significant risk.
- Soccer: While not always mandated, headers and collisions create opportunities for dental trauma.
- Combat Sports: Wrestling, boxing, and martial arts require the highest level of protection.
- Gymnastics and Skateboarding: Solo sports with high fall risks also warrant protection.
For more details on which activities benefit from protection, I recommend reading this article on Mouthguards from MouthHealthy.org, which is backed by the ADA. It provides a great overview of why this gear is so vital.
My Process: Getting You Game-Ready
When you visit my office for a custom guard, I want the experience to be easy and positive. We start with a quick examination to ensure your teeth and gums are healthy. Then, we take the impression. This is a fast, painless process. We use high-quality materials to get an exact replica of your smile.
Once we have the model, we fabricate the guard. This is where the customization happens. We can adjust the thickness based on your sport. We can even customize the colors to match your school or team jersey. I have found that when student-athletes love the look of their gear, they are much more likely to wear it consistently.
For athletes with braces, custom guards are even more critical. A blow to the face while wearing braces can cause severe damage to the soft tissues inside the mouth as they are pressed against the metal brackets. I can design a guard that fits over the braces, protecting both the orthodontic investment and the soft tissues of the mouth. As the teeth move, we can adjust or replace the guard to ensure it continues to fit properly.
Caring for Your Equipment
Once we have created your custom sports mouthguards, taking care of them is simple. I always tell my patients that a clean mouthguard is a healthy mouthguard. Bacteria can build up on the material if it isn’t maintained, which can lead to bad breath or gum irritation.
Here are my top tips for maintenance:
- Rinse the guard with cool water or mouthwash before and after each use.
- Clean it occasionally with cool, soapy water and rinse thoroughly.
- Avoid hot water, as it can warp the material and ruin the custom fit.
- Store it in the ventilated container we provide to allow air circulation and prevent mold growth.
- Bring it to your regular checkups so I can inspect it for wear and tear.
With proper care, a custom mouthguard can last for a season or longer, depending on the frequency of use and the athlete’s growth (especially for younger teens).
Let’s Protect Our Brentwood Athletes
I am incredibly proud of the dedication I see in our local athletes. Whether you are aiming for a college scholarship or just playing for the love of the game, you deserve the best protection available. As a dental professional, nothing makes me happier than seeing a patient complete a season with a healthy, beautiful smile.
Do not wait for a close call or an injury to upgrade your safety gear. A custom mouthguard is a small piece of equipment that makes a massive difference. It offers superior protection, unmatched comfort, and the ability to breathe and communicate effectively on the field.
If you or your child is gearing up for the next season, I invite you to come into my office. Let’s discuss your specific sport and create a custom guard that fits your needs perfectly. My team and I are here to support your athletic journey, ensuring that your smile stays as strong as your game.