Protect your teeth by using a sports mouth guard Published Sept. 26, 2011 By Capt. Wah-Yung Tsang 51st Dental Squadron OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- It's estimated that about 95 percent of all football concussions are transmitted through the lower jaw to the brain. Furthermore, during any single season an athlete participating in a contact sport runs about a 10 percent chance of experiencing some sort of orofacial injury. This means more than 5 million teeth are being knocked out each year during sports activities. To protect your teeth and prevent further injury everyone participating in contact sports should wear a mouth guard and Osan's dental clinic can help. The dental clinic staff can provide custom-fit sports mouth guards for service members participating in contact sports. All sports mouth guards are plastic dental appliances, which help to protect the hard and soft tissues of the mouth from damage caused by traumatic blows and collisions. The mouth guards also serve to prevent concussions and brain injuries. While all guards are made of plastic, the specific design, composition, and method of fabrication vary. In general there are three types of sports mouthpieces: stock, boil and bite, and custom. Stock mouth guard Stock mouth guards can be purchased at retail sporting goods and drug stores and typically sell for about $15. These guards are ready to be used without additional customization. This is the cheapest type and provides minimal protection. They usually come in sizes small, medium, and large only. As a result, they are not the most comfortable to wear and do not stay in place well. Also, due to the size limitations, stock mouth guards often will not cover all of the back teeth as is needed for adequate protection. Athletes often end up clenching their teeth together, so to hold the guard in place. This clenching activity can make it difficult for the player to speak and breathe, which in turn may provide a reason for them not to wear it. Boil-and-bite guards A boil-and-bite mouth guard sells for about $40 and is made out of thermoplastic materials. The idea is that the athlete customizes the fit of the mouth guard by immersing it in hot water; subsequently mold the guard with fingers, lips, tongue, cheeks, and biting pressure. One disadvantage of this type of protector is that during the customization process the thickness of the plastic covering the chewing surface of the teeth can become thin, thus minimizing the amount of protection that the guard is capable of providing. The retention of this type of mouth guard can be expected to be better than a stock guard. Custom mouth guards In most cases a dental office can provide a custom mouth guard for about $300 and these guards are individually customized to fit the athlete's mouth. A well-designed custom mouth guard is typically considered to be able to provide the greatest level of protection for an athlete as compared to either a stock or boil-and-bite guard. The design of a custom guard can be individualized not only for the athlete but in some cases also for the specific sport. The fit and comfort of a custom mouth guard can be expected to be excellent. The retention of a custom guard can be expected to be superior and therefore produce less interference with speech and breathing than other types of guards. While the cost of this type of appliance is more than a stock or boil and bite mouthpiece it should be considered money well spent. The dental clinic will be holding a special fitting Sept. 28 and 30 from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 4:30 p.m. for all those who need mouth guards for sports. For more information or to schedule an appointment for a mouth guard fitting, call the dental clinic at 784-2108.