All About Mouth Guards

With summer in full swing, it's a good time to give some tips on mouth guards! Beautiful smiles are worth protecting.

If you or your Graf Ortho patients participate in organized sports, you may already get reminders from Coach to wear a mouth guard. But it's a good idea to wear one in ANY activity where your face could potentially come in contact with something--another player, sports equipment, the pavement, anything! Injuries in these activities can be extremely painful and costly, so we encourage our patients to take a preventative approach that can help you avoid or lessen the severity of these types of injuries.

There are three options when it comes to choosing a mouth guard.

Source: American Association of Orthodontics

During orthodontic treatment, we recommend using the boil-and-bite option, as teeth are shifting position so often. You can then reform it once the braces are off and have a guard that fits your brand new smile! These can be purchased at most sporting goods stores. Check the label before buying to be sure you've found a design that can be used with braces.

Make sure to take good care of the mouth guard by washing and storing it properly, and replacing it when you see signs of wear.

Be safe out there and have a fun summer!