Category: General Dentistry

Sports Mouthguards and the Benefits

What is a Sports Mouthguard?

Sports mouthguards are thick plastic devices worn over the teeth made by a dental practitioner by taking a custom mould of a patient’s teeth. Their primary purpose is to protect the oral cavity and its structures when a person is likely to experience a traumatic event, like playing contact sport.

If a person wears a mouthguard correctly, in the likely event of an impact during contact sport, the risk of injury to the teeth and the oral structures is reduced significantly.

This is because the mouthguard Sydney will distribute, absorb and minimise the force from the impact and even reduce the risk of concussion, neck injuries, and jaw fracture.

What sports are highly recommended to wear Mouthguards?

Mouthguards are highly recommended for any child, youth, or adult involved in the following sports.

• basketball
• cricket
• hockey
• boxing
• soccer
• football
• netball
• baseball
• skateboarding
• martial arts
• mountain biking
• gymnastics

What are the different types of Mouthguards?

1. Custom-Fitted Mouthguards

Custom-fitted mouthguards are made to fit each individual’s teeth exactly built from the model that is poured up after a dental practitioner takes a mould of the teeth during a dental appointment. Your dentist Sydney will take an impression of your teeth and send it to the lab.

Here, the dental technician will construct the custom-fitted mouthguard from a plaster mould that is poured up from the impression sent by the Sydney dentist. You can choose the thickness of the material so it will be comfortable and less bulky.

It may have one or many layers, and you can also pick the design or insert your name or logo in your custom-fitted mouthguard.

Custom-fitted mouthguards have many advantages.

• • allow the highest level of protection due to the superior adaption and fit, and provide better impact absorption
  • excellent retention so the mouthguards not move around or fall out while playing sport
  • allow easier breathing and speaking
  • the material is highly durable, non-toxic, and biocompatible
  • the material is also tasteless and odourless

2. Boil and Bite Mouthguards

Boil-and-bite mouthguards can be bought over the counter at pharmacies or sports stores for a much lower price than custom-fitted mouthguards. They are factory manufactured in bulk and usually available in 3 sizes.

The shape of these mouthguards can be altered by immersion in boiling water to soften the plastic, and while it is still hot, inserted into the mouth and using the fingers can be moulded into the approximate shape.

Unfortunately, the thickness of this mouthguard is often uneven, bulky making them uncomfortable for the wearer and tend to dislodge during activity. They also interfere when breathing and speaking.

These mouthguards should only be used in case you’re waiting for your custom-fitted mouthguards because they provide only slightly better protection compared to not wearing mouthguards at all.

3. Stock Mouthguards

These are the cheapest of all the mouthguards, usually made into a horseshoe shape, and are impossible to be altered to fit in the mouth. As a result, they provide a very poor fit and give very little to no protection.

Some dental health professionals believe it may even increase the risk of injury to the oral cavity due to its poor fit and rigid material.

How to take care of your Mouthguards?

Since your mouthguard will be inserted into your mouth, keeping it clean is essential. Simply rinse your mouthguards with cool water before and after each use.

Then, you can brush it with your toothbrush and toothpaste. Avoid hot water because that can change the shape of your mouthguard, and it may not fit correctly. Then store it in a dry and cool place.

How much does a Custom-Fitted Mouthguard cost?

A custom-fitted mouthguard in Australia is around $180 to $500, depending on the clinic and the design. Some health funds even cover the cost of the sports mouthguards. Check with your “dentist near me” and health fund to find out your options.

 

 

www.SydneyCBDDentistry.com.au

Do your gums bleed when you brush?

Why should you keep brushing to stop bleeding?

It may sound ironic, but it is the truth. I hear it all the time, “Brushing my teeth makes my gums bleed,” or “Every time I get a scale and clean from the dentist, it makes my gum bleed.”

Very often, as a result, people then avoid brushing and stop going to the dentist. What a misconception! In fact, bleeding gums indicate an underlying health issue and is far more common than people think: gum disease.

Gum disease is a silent killer, and statistics show every 1 in 2 adults have some form of gum disease. The majority of these cases arise from inadequate plaque and calculus removal.

The only way to control gum disease is by maintaining meticulous oral hygiene and visiting your dentist Sydney regularly to get your teeth professionally cleaned.

What is Gum Disease?

Gum disease is the infection of the gums because of poor oral hygiene, smoking, or taking medication. It usually starts as gingivitis, which is inflammation of the gums.

It is reversible at this early stage, which means your gum tissues can return to normal after treatment. However, if left untreated, it leads to irreversible damage in the form of established periodontal disease or periodontitis.

Periodontitis can be classified broadly into mild, moderate, and severe forms depending on the degree of gum loss around the roots of the teeth. Inflammation in any part of the body for an extended period of time causes underlying tissue damage. Our gums are no different.

If periodontitis isn’t treated in time, it leads to the gums around the roots of the teeth start receding, and usually, the underlying bone follows.

Periodontitis is irreversible, which means your gums and the surrounding alveolar bone does not grow back. In the advanced stages, if there is enough bone loss, the teeth become loose in their sockets and eventually run the risk of falling out.

Hence it is critical to notice the early signs of gum disease or periodontitis and get it treated to avoid the premature loss of teeth.

What are the signs that you have Gum Disease?

Healthy or normal gum is pink and firm, whereas if the gum is red and swollen, that is a sign of inflammation. The easiest way to spot gum disease is bleeding while brushing or flossing.

Other symptoms include bad breath, gum recession, tooth-root exposure, teeth that are moving, and finally pus or a bad taste from an area of the mouth. Seek dental treatment as soon as possible to avoid these problems escalating.

Gum Disease is a silent killer!

You might think “they are just teeth, can’t you just indeed pull them out?” Even if that were the solution, teeth and gums provide a multitude of functions that are not easy to replace with false teeth. Dental treatment to replace those lost teeth includes dental implants, dental bridges, or even dentures.

It can take years for you to be comfortable wearing dentures and very often they need to be replaced or relined as the bone in the mouth resorbs. You are at risk of losing the functional ability to eat certain foods and even taste.

Maintaining oral hygiene becomes even more critical with false teeth and dentures as you have to keep them extra clean as well as the remaining teeth in the mouth.

Some people underestimate the importance of general oral hygiene. In fact, scientists have proven that oral health directly affects your overall health.

The mouth is the entrance to the respiratory and digestive system; some conditions have an established link to bad oral health including endocarditis, cardiovascular disease, pneumonia. Poor oral hygiene can also cause pregnancy and birth complications.

How to maintain oral hygiene and prevent gum disease?

The key is to maintain good oral hygiene and regular dental visits once every 6 months. Make it your habit, brush your teeth at least twice a day, and remember to floss.

Brushing your teeth properly, spending a good 2 minutes, making sure to cover all the surfaces. You don’t need to brush too hard, plaque is easily removed with nice and gentle strokes of the bristles over your teeth and the gums.

For the stubborn calculus or tartar that cannot be removed by brushing or flossing, you need to keep your bi-annual appointment with your “dentist near me“.

Finally, a big risk factor that has to be discussed is smoking. Everyone knows smoking isn’t good for your health.

It weakens your immune system and makes it harder to fight the bacteria attacking your gums. Smoking cessation improves the health of your gums dramatically.

Maintaining healthy eating habits with lots of vitamins and fiber, eating less processed sugars, and avoiding soft drinks are also imperative.

Keep smiling and take pride in your oral health.

 

Sydney Dentist