Why use a mouth guard during sports? Mouth guards reduce the risk of broken or lost teeth and other jaw and mouth injuries during contact sports.
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that anyone who participates in a sport that "carries a significant risk of injury should wear a mouth protector." They recommend mouth protection for football, hockey, basketball, baseball, gymnastics, and volleyball.
Learn more about the proper selection, fit and care of mouth guards for sports or check out some recommended mouth guards you can buy online if you are in the market.
Being a boxer and a rugby player, my mouthguard is always a part of my uniform. I feel naked without it on the pitch and I wasn’t even allowed in the ring without it. If you are constantly using one, like I was, I found you are better off to spring for a mouth guard molded by your dentist. They usually run about $65.00 but they will give you the plaster mold of your teeth, making it easy to replace. Since they are molded to your mouth specifically, I found it easier to breathe and speak. I found that the self molding mouthguards didnt last me very long and that I could never get the next one to mold like the last. As for cleaning, I just use Efferdent in luke warm water, leave the mouth guard overnight, then brush it with my toothbrush afterward. This seems to do the trick. Other than that, a few extra dollars can go a long way in ensuring you still have all your teeth when the day is done, which is much cheaper than dentures.