Smile Protection

By Delores Pittman, DDS

Your smile is important in making the right impression and sending a confident message. Imagine having to hide your smile because your front teeth are damaged, discolored or gone. Unfortunately, this is sometimes the case with athletes who participate in contact sports.

Accidents Happen

Accidents happen, especially during intense competition. A collision or an elbow to the face can break teeth or knock them out altogether. This can be devastating to one’s appearance and self-confidence. In addition, the cost of repairing or replacing damaged teeth can be as much as $4,000 per tooth. Whether you have a child playing in little league or you are an athlete yourself, it is important to keep your teeth protected. Taking the precaution of wearing a custom fitted mouth guard can significantly reduce injury to the mouth when worn during sports activities.

PlaySafe Mouthguards

Laboratory made PlaySafe mouthguards are prescribed for both professional and amateur athletes because they offer the highest level of protection during sports activities. When worn routinely, they can decrease the incidence of dental trauma by 95%.

Boil-and-Bite Vs. Custom Made

PlaySafe mouthguards are custom made by a dentist to provide superior fit and retention as compared to boil-and-bite guards. Custom made guards fit more securely and do not require you to constantly clench your teeth to keep it in.

PlaySafe guards stay in unaided. The athlete is free to breathe through the mouth when more air is needed and focus on the game.

Boil-and-bite guards are frequently lost or forgotten and need to be replaced. Further, an unlabeled boil-and-bite guard can only be identified one way – put it in your mouth to see if it fits. Yuck! PlaySafe guards are personalized with the player’s name inside so lost guards can be safely returned.

Required In Organized Sports

Most school systems and sports organizations require the use of mouthguards to participate in certain sports: football, hockey, lacrosse, wrestling, boxing, martial arts. Available in six levels of protection, the PlaySafe mouthguard can be customized with helmet straps, your team logo and team colors.