Protect Your Teeth With Dr. Santana

Contact sports can create dental disaster stories. From a displaced tooth to complex fractures, sports dentistry nightmares happen daily. Fortunately, custom mouthguards offer an easy, affordable way to protect smiles.

At Optimum Dentistry, Dr. David Santana and his Coral Springs, FL, dental team create custom mouthguards to prevent injury and keep your smile looking bright. These personalized oral appliances offer superior shock absorption and a comfortable, non-restrictive fit for clear speech and breathing. 

Call (954) 775-0185 to schedule your mouthguard consultation with our Coral Springs dentist and his experienced team today!

What Are Mouthguards?

Mouthguards are protective devices worn over the teeth, gums, and braces during contact sports or other physical activities with high injury risk. Typically made from thermoplastics, mouthguards comfortably fit over the upper or lower jaws to create a protective barrier.

While the American Dental Association approves both stock and custom mouthguards, dentists overwhelmingly recommend custom-fabricated guards. Custom mouthguards use custom impressions to fit precisely to athletes’ jaws for better communication, breathing, and drinking during competition.

a young boxer is happy with the protection from her custom mouthguards

Benefits of Custom Mouthguards

Custom guards offer many advantages over generic store-bought alternatives, with benefits including:

  • Maximum Protection: Custom guards offer a perfect fit, making them more precise than stock mouthguards. They can also be fitted over braces.
  • Injury Prevention: Custom-fit guards better absorb shock, diffuse impact forces, and keep oral structures properly positioned to prevent injuries ranging from tooth fractures to concussions.
  • Comfort: A custom guard feels like a natural extension of the athlete’s teeth. Maximized comfort drives consistent wear.
  • Hygiene: A proper custom-fit guard fit leaves no room for debris that fosters bacteria growth. Close tissue contact also limits speech impediment and drooling.
  • Durability: Proper material thickness and density lend well to the custom-fit guard’s durability in the heat of competition.

How Mouthguards Help

Guards protect by absorbing and redistributing impact forces:

Shock Absorption

The custom thermoplastic material helps prevent tooth damage by absorbing and dispersing energy from collisions with other players, balls, sticks, etc.

Cushioning Blows

The mouthguard’s structure spaces the front and bottom jaws slightly apart while also holding them in place. Together, this absorbs blows to avoid direct tooth-on-tooth contact risking fractures.

Protection From Concussive Forces

By preventing the jaw from slamming shut on impact and cushioning collisions, mouthguards protect from concussions and associated head, neck, and jaw injuries.

The Custom Mouthguard Process at Optimum Dentistry

Under Dr. David Santana’s expertise, the Optimum Dentistry team helps athletes protect their pearly whites with custom guards. Every guard is tailored to your smile using a streamlined process:

  1. Impressions: We create models of your unique tooth anatomy with digital and dental putty impressions. 
  2. Personalization: Patients may choose their guard’s thickness and color/design for customization to promote use. We offer options from basic protection to metal-embedded guards used by NFL pros!
  3. Mold Creation: Dr. Santana then vacuums the custom thermoplastic guard mold over the model replica.
  4. Fitting: At the follow-up appointment, we fit the finished guard for comfort, function, and performance, making any final adjustments.

Throughout the process, comfort and performance remain priorities one and two. The highest injury risk comes from ill-fitted guards neglected in gear bags. That’s why Dr. Santana is passionate about the durable protection you’ll want to wear.

Mouthguard Care

Caring for your mouthguard ensures it stays hygienic, comfortable, and at its strongest. Responsible guard maintenance includes:

  • Always wear the guard properly during activities with high dental injury risk — Educate your teammates the guard isn’t optional gear.
  • Rinse under cool water before and after each use. Steer clear of hot water. Too much heat could warp the shape.
  • Occasional gentle antimicrobial soaks can prevent bacteria and fungus growth.
  • Properly store the guard in its protective case to protect the material.
  • Replace your mouthguard every couple of seasons.

By taking care of custom mouthguards, athletes can protect their smiles and confidence heading into the heat of competition.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, a properly fitted custom athletic mouthguard doesn’t severely restrict airflow or breathing. The slim profile and custom impression allow normal breathing. There may be a short adjustment period to grow accustomed to having something occupying space in the mouth, but airflow isn’t affected.

While it may take some practice to speak wearing a guard, custom dental impressions minimize bulk and interference. With the pliable material molded to the mouth’s contours, a custom guard moves more naturally with the mouth’s motions than stock guards.

No, a properly fitted guard doesn’t keep the jaws open far enough to contribute to dehydration. Staying well-hydrated before, during, and after competition remains a player’s responsibility, with or without a mouthguard.

They’re relatively inexpensive when the cost is weighed against the high injury expenses a custom guard can prevent. Custom fabricated guards generally cost more than generic “one size fits most” varieties available over the counter. But given a custom guard’s durability and precision fit that translates to better protection, the value over its lifetime justifies the initial investment.

Prevent Injury and Keep Your Smile Bright at Optimum Dentistry

Under Dr. David Santana’s expertise, the Optimum Dentistry team helps Coral Springs athletes properly protect their irreplaceable smiles with custom guards tailored to unique mouths. Because when a split-second accident can rack up thousands in dental repairs, it’s crucial to trust a proven local dentist for superior, affordable protection made to take a hit.

Call (954) 775-0185 or use our online contact form to schedule your mouthguard consultation with our Coral Springs dentist today.