Athletic Mouthguards with Feist Dental

What type of mouthguard is best?

-As fall is approaching, many kids are geared up for sports like football and soccer.  Kids participating in these high contact sports need to wear a mouthguard.  However, all mouthguards are not created equal.  Sports medicine experts estimate that up to 80% of athletic mouthguards are ineffective or may even cause more harm than not wearing a mouth guard at all.  The lifetime cost of oral trauma is hundreds to thousands of dollars for the initial treatment.  Parents and patients do not recognize that the initial treatment is just the start of restorative treatment that will need to be redone several times during the athlete's lifetime.  An acceptable mouthguard is a small amount compared to the cost of of potential dental treatment.

Types of Mouthguards

Stock Mouthguards

These inexpensive mouthguards are found at most sporting good stores.  They do not form to the teeth or arches at all.  Any force to the area will force the guard backwards and force is not distributed evenly to the oral tissues.  This mouthguard can cause more harm than not wearing a mouthguard at all.

Boil-and bite mouthguards

A very popular option available in sporting goods stores at minimal cost.  Boil-and-bite mouthguards have an initial protective benefit.  Over time, the athlete tends to chew and distort the fit.  These guards last only a few months and lose the ability to protect the teeth and oral tissues.  These guards provide less than desirable protection.

Vacuum-formed mouthguards

These mouthguards can only be made at your dental office.  At Feist Dental, we utilize a suction device with stone cast model of the teeth to make a sure-fitting guard.  This guard provide better protection compared to the previous types.

Laminated pressure-formed mouthguards

This mouthguard is the most protective.  Fabricated at our office, they can be made in a few minutes at a minimal  expense.  The precise fit and grade of material makes this type of mouthguard the most beneficial to anyone participating in contact sports.