As pre-season training begins for winter sports, it is timely to remind patients of the benefits of having a custom-made mouthguard fitted by a dentist.

Key messages for patients

• Sports-related injuries account for nearly 40% of dental injuries, yet only 36% of Australians wear a mouthguard when playing contact sport, and even fewer wear a mouthguard during training.
• A single case of dental trauma can lead to a lifetime of treatment.
• Dental trauma from sporting injury can result in damage to the tooth nerve, fractured, cracked or knocked-out teeth, a broken jaw, damage to the tongue and cut lips.

Benefits of a custom-fitted mouthguard

• Minimises risk of injury to teeth, gums and jaw
• Makes breathing and speaking a lot easier
• A lot more comfortable than ‘boil and bite’ mouthguards
• Expert fitting from qualified professionals
• Long lasting, durable and available in a variety of designs

Play it safe

ADA recommends wearing a custom-made mouthguard fitted by a dentist. Over the counter ‘boil and bite’ mouthguards offer less protection to your teeth nd mouth.

Download ADA’s patient information sheet on mouthguards here.