When you run as a hobby, or semi-professionally, you may have put a lot of thought into how best to keep your heart healthy and prevent muscle injuries or pulls.
Of course, it is also important to make sure that when you are running that, your face and teeth are kept safe. Falls happen, and, when you are running or biking, they tend to happen face-first!
So, here, the pros of having a custom-fitted sports guard or mouthguard will be looked at. Just ensure that a dentist fits the guard to ensure it is of the highest quality!
Protection Against Oral Injuries
As any dentist will tell you, a well-fitted mouthguard will act as a cushion. It is designed to absorb and disperse the impact forces that can occur when you fall off of your bike or if you slip while running. This can prevent cracked and broken teeth, as well as soft tissue damage, and can even prevent your jaw from being damaged. They are well worth having, so have a look on bafdentistry to see how they are fitted and how to care for mouthguards.
Prevent Concussions
Yes, mouthguards don’t only protect your teeth and your jaw!
If the mouth or sports guard is fitted correctly, it can also reduce the risk of getting a concussion. This is only the case if the mouthguard is fitted to both the upper and the lower jaws. Why? It can help to cushion the impact of blunt force trauma to the jaw, which, in turn, prevents the transmission of that force going to the head. Of course, this isn’t foolproof, and if you are riding a bike, this is another reason to wear a helmet.
TMJ Prevention
You may have heard of temporomandibular joint disorder or TMJ. It is simply when the jaw joint comes out of alignment, usually due to grinding or dental misalignment.
As you may have guessed, if you are riding a bike and you come off, you can easily take your jaw out of its socket. A mouthguard can act as a cushion for such impacts, but you need to make sure that you wear a mouthguard on both the upper and the lower jaws for it to be effective. Mouthguards can also prevent fractures to the jaw, which can happen during falls while running or falls from bikes.
Better Performance
How exactly does a mouthguard help you to run or ride a bike better? It’s simple; if your mouth and teeth are protected, you won’t have that worry in the back of your mind. Therefore, you will be able to focus on the run or ride, safe in the knowledge that you are protected in the event of an accident.
Facial Injury Prevention
If you are riding a bike and you have a collision and fall, the first place that will get injured is likely to be your face.
How can a mouthguard prevent facial injuries? It can’t prevent cuts, but it can prevent bruises and other soft tissue damage by absorbing the force and spreading it evenly.
So, if you don’t have one already and you have a triathlon coming up, visit your dentist to have a mouthguard fitted today!