Friday, August 26, 2016

Mouthguards, Free of Charge Because it's Important


Mouthguards—

Free of Charge, Because It’s Important. 

At Barnett Orthodontics, in Barberton OH, we provide free mouthguards to all of our patients.

The best type of mouthguard available is a custom-fit pressure laminated mouthguard. These are made in our in-house lab by using an impression of your teeth. This creates a mouthguard that fits your teeth perfectly. These are the most comfortable and most protective mouthguards you can wear! Another type is a stock mouthguard. They are pre-formed and ready to wear but known for being a little bit bulky. The last type is the boil and bite mouthguard. These you can purchase at most sporting goods stores or drugstores. You place the mouthguard in boiling water and bite into it. The softened rubber forms to your teeth when you bite into it while it cools.  This is a good option but not as ideal as a custom fit mouthguard. 

During your treatment, while we are moving your teeth and changing your bite, we will provide a stock-mouthguard.  We have a variety of colors and sizes.  After braces, we make every patient a free custom pressure laminated mouthguard to protect your super smile. 

We are confident that we are the BEST source for a custom mouthguard in the Akron Ohio area.  Our “Mission Mouthguard” is aimed at providing all of Akron’s youth (not just our patients) with a custom pressure laminated mouthguard. We have gone into school’s athletic programs to offer our services and have been recognized in the Akron Beacon Journal for our efforts.  While a custom-fit mouthguard can cost hundreds of dollars, we only charge $20.00 to the general public.  This correlates to the cost of a boil and bite mouthguard which a family would buy at a sporting goods store. 

Why do we need to wear mouthguards?

Mouthguards help to protect against injuries to the teeth and surrounding soft tissue, such as the tongue, cheeks, or lips. Some different injuries that could occur if you are not wearing your mouthguard could include fractured teeth (image A), displaced teeth (image B), or your teeth could be knocked out (image C) completely! They also to protect the soft tissues in your mouth. Without a mouthguard, your teeth could bite through your tongue, cheeks, or lip! Believe it or not, mouthguards also help to prevent concussions! By wearing your mouthguard it creates a padding or cushion between your teeth. By doing that, when a blow occurs to the mandible (lower jaw), the padding lessens the force of the impact pushing up toward the brain. A fractured jaw is a common dental injury related to not wearing a mouthguard!
A                                                                                                          B
C
 
Did you know?
·         Sports-related injuries account for 600,000 emergency room visits per year!
·         An athlete is 60 times more likely to suffer harm to the teeth when not wearing their mouthguard!
Tips for your mouthguard!
·         Rinse or brush with toothbrush and toothpaste before and after each use.
·         Occasionally clean mouthguard in cool, soapy water and rinse thoroughly.
·         Transport your mouthguard in a sturdy container that has holes for ventilation.
·         Never leave your mouthguard directly in sunlight or hot water.
 
Most importantly, if you get a mouthguard, make sure you wear it!
Call us today if you want to join our Mission Mouthguard Program! 330-745-4497