What You Should Know About Braces and Gumshields

Your teeth and mouth need to be protected if you engage in physical activities that expose them to danger. This is particularly true but not limited to those who play contact sports. You need a gumshield to protect your mouth and smile. But do you know which gumshield would actually work best for your smile protection? Don't worry as this post is aimed to provide advice on what type of gumshield you should use.

At what time do I need a gumshield?

This is very important. Not everyone needs a gumshield. If you have received treatment with braces, it is important you wear a gumshield for all activities that will likely bring you into physical contact with other people. But even if you are not wearing a brace and you engage in physical contact, sport or activities, then you sure need a gumshield. We offer braces at London Braces should you need one.

Why is a gumshield important?

For contact sport like lacrosse, hockey and rugby, gumshield is crucial. This is because these games whether you are playing for recreation or as a career carries a high risk of 3 top dental injuries. They include:

• Cracked teeth: Your teeth may get cracked or fractured if as an athlete, you take a blow to the face. If, after impact, there appears on the tooth longitudinal or lateral cracks, you are in luck as this is considered as "craze lines" by dental experts. It doesn't present a high risk to your oral health.

But should the crack on the tooth begin at the crown and stretch downward, it's an entirely cracked tooth! This is symbolised by a sharp pain in a bite, tooth sensitivity, recurring tooth pain, and loss of a part of the outer tooth enamel.

• Fractured roots: A blow at an angle during contact sport can cause a fractured root. Rather than experiencing a crack that begins at the top of the chewing surface and moves to the root, a fractured tooth will start at the root level and spread to the visible surface of the tooth.

You may only get to know you've got a fractured root when an infection develops, as these fractures are sometimes hidden. How severe this dental problem gets comes down to where the fracture is located along the root. If not treated on time, the pulp will get infected, and necrosis will set in which will eventually cause loss of the tooth.

• Tooth intrusion: The usual sport injury is a knocked-out tooth. However, there are times where an injury can push teeth inwards to the jawbone. This is what is known as an intrusion. It commonly happens with baby teeth, but it can affect athletes of all ages. You may not be able to play for a long time following the healing of tooth trauma. Complications that can arise from this are root resorption, ankylosis (where the damaged tooth root bonds with the alveolar bone), and tooth pulp destruction.

Now that you know how serious contact sports injury can get, protecting your teeth should be top of mind.

So, what gumshield type is right for me?

There are custom gumshield made from taking an impression of your teeth and over-the-counter gumshield available in standard or mouldable forms. Our recommendation is the mouldable type as it gives a better fit.

In a case where you still have baby teeth and adult teeth, getting a custom gumshield is not advised since it will only provide a temporary fit. So, it is recommended you go for Shock Doctor mouldable gumshield. You can purchase it online or from a good sports store.

A custom gumshield is recommended when you have had all your adult teeth. This is because it will effectively protect your jaws and teeth.

I have braces, what kind of gumshield should I wear?

If you are using a removable brace like invisible braces London, before you engage in contact sports, take out the braces and wear a gumshield that fits snugly to the teeth. Care should be taken if you are using Invisalign, as the recommended off-wear time is just between 2 to 4 hours. Consult your dentist for better advice.

When it comes to fixed braces that you cannot remove, get a gumshield that can sit comfortably over your braces. At our practice, you can get a perfectly fitting gumshield for fixed braces.

Another option is to have a custom gumshield designed for use with your fixed braces so that tooth movement can happen. If this option is suitable for you, our dentist will take an impression of your teeth after you must have received your fixed braces. They will use this to produce your gumshield. Typically, you can get your gumshield after 1 week of taking the impression.

Finally

In as much as you would love to play your favourite sport, bear in mind that those white pearls in your mouth are of great value to your overall health. Dealing with a dental injury is not an experience anyone wishes to have. That said, preventive care is critical to avoid all these hassles to oral health by using an effective gumshield.

The type of gumshield to use depends on your present teeth type and the kind of braces you are currently using.

Should you need to know more about custom gumshield? Feel free to contact our team at London Braces today.