Why Mouthguards Made By Dentists Are Superior to Store-Bought Mouthguards

Mouthguards protect your teeth and gums from damage while you play sports. One injury can cost you thousands of dollars in dental treatment. Unfortunately, store-bought mouthguards provide very little protection against injury. These mouthguards are one size fits all, and since all mouths are unique in shape and size, these mouthguards are often a very poor fit.

Custom-made mouthguards, on the other hand, offer the best protection because they are based on your teeth, gums and jaw.

Custom mouthguards last longer

The plastic used to make a store-bought mouthguard is thin. After you have boiled your mouthguard and shaped it to fit your mouth, some parts will be thinner than others. As a result, store-bought mouthguards can quickly become brittle.

However, custom-made mouthguards last much longer because they are made of thermoplastic. Thermoplastic is more durable than the plastic used in store-bought mouthguards. And because custom mouthguards are designed for your mouth, you won't have the weak spots that you will with the store-bought options.

Custom mouthguards don't need manual adjustments

One of the biggest issues that people have with store-bought mouthguards is fit. Although you can get boil and bite mouthguards, this still doesn't solve the problem. One issue that often occurs is that after shaping, boil and bite mouthguards become uncomfortable to wear in certain spots. For instance, they may end up too long and irritate your gum tissue or make it difficult to breathe. While you can adjust a store-bought mouthguard with some scissors, this takes time, and you could end up making the fit even worse than before.

As an alternative, custom mouthguards are unique to your mouth. This means that while designing it, a dentist will take into account the shape of your mouth, your dental restorations and even the length of your teeth. This means that you won't need to make manual adjustments. And if an adjustment is necessary, your dentist can do so for you.  

Custom mouthguards can be personalized with logos and colours

Your custom mouthguard doesn't have to be plain. Your dentist will likely be more than happy to customize your mouthguard's colour scheme and add a logo or some initials if you ask them. For instance, you can ask your dentist to make a mouthguard in the colours of your sports team.

If you need a mouthguard because you play sports regularly, consider getting a custom-made one rather than opting for a store-bought one. Custom-made mouthguards last longer, fit better and look better too. For more information about mouthguards, contact a dentist.. 

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