Ray Padilla, a leading authority on mouthguards and sports dentistry, believes that custom mouthguards, including a vacuum and pressure laminated variety, offer the best protection and durability. In addition to reducing injuries to the teeth and lips, mouthguards also reduce the chance of serious injury to the head and neck area. Contrary to what balking teen-agers might say, a good mouthguard should not interfere with talking or breathing. Relatively speaking, custom mouthguards are not that expensive. While a custom mouthguard may cost about the same as a good pair of athletic shoes, it may cost thousands of dollars to treat broken, chipped, or knocked-out teeth.
Mouthpieces offer protection.
All athletes should use them more often, including those who participate in activities not considered contact sports, such as baseball, basketball, and soccer. All rights reserved. All rights reserved.