31 March 2012Athletic mouth guards are actually plastic appliances that are typically worn while a person engages in recreational as well as athletic activities for protecting the teeth from traumatic events or loss while reducing the chances of developing jaw fractures.
Mouth guards further play an important role in minimizing the risk of lacerated and injured lips by keeping the regions of soft tissue away from the teeth. This is particularly useful for youngsters who have orthodontic braces.
It’s a fact that our mouth is more prone to injuries and bruises during sports and active engagements. In terms of oral protection, people involved in athletic activities like boxing, baseball, basketball, field hockey, ice hockey, football, martial arts, wrestling, rugby etc are encouraged to wear these flexible plastic guards. These are also used by people who participate in recreational activities like bicycling and skateboarding.
While a person engages in sports activities, he/she should make sure that the mouth guard stays in place and doesn’t interfere with breathing or the ability to talk. In addition to providing optimum protection, a mouth guard should have a reasonable comfort level. Just like any other type of sports gear, these guards can lose their efficiency over time. Therefore, they should ideally be replaced following each sports season. But, proper care can actually increase their life span.