Fall, Fall Sports and Mouthguards
This is one of my favorite times of year. Of course my kids weren’t that excited to head back to school, but this is where you can begin to smell fall in the air, football season gets into full swing and don’t forget that baseball season is headed down the home stretch and getting closer to the playoffs (Go Cubs!!) There’s so much to take in during this time of year that even though it can be crazy busy, we all need to take some time to enjoy all the nice things that fall offers.
As you might have guessed, I love sports. I’m a die hard Cubs fan who has cheered for the lovable losers since I was 5 years old. Their World Series Title in 2016 is something I’ll never forget (it still gives me goosebumps to think about it). I’m also a college football junkie and can’t get enough of the hometown Broncos. I could ramble on and on about sports, but this is also an important time for me to remind all those who participate in fall sports to remember how important it is to protect that smile. Football, soccer, and volleyball to name just a few are in full swing. If you or anyone in your family play any type of sport that could jeopardize that smile, you should consider a mouthguard. Also remember that just because your sport might not seem like a contact sport, a mouthguard can still be very important. Mountain biking, roller blading, and skateboarding to name a few could all result in injuries that lead to tooth loss. We’ve seen a number of patients who have either lost or had to have front teeth treated due to bike accidents.
There are multiple options for mouthguards from simple inexpensive boil and bite guards to custom fit guards. As you might guess, there and many benefits to custom guards over the boil and bite and we will discuss some of them here.
At our dental office, we make custom fit mouthguards to accommodate all different kinds of sports even up to full contact striking sports. Depending on which sport you participate in will determine what kind of guard we make for you. The guard we make will be custom fit to help prevent it from falling out while you play. Another thing to consider with custom fit mouthguard is the ability to breathe better. For those heavy cardio sports, breathing effectively and efficiently is critical. A good fitting mouthguard will help with this. A mouthguard that consistently falls out or fills up your entire mouth can make it harder to take in air when you need it the most. Being someone who likes to work out, I know how important it is to be able to breathe properly.
Although fashion should be last on the list when it comes to mouthguards, we can also customize your mouthguard with a team logo and multiple colors are available.
So this fall I hope everyone gets out and enjoys the wonderful fall weather and stays active. And if you love sports like me, hopefully you’re out there participating. Even if you’re not a sports enthusiast, hopefully your getting out there and staying healthy. Check our website for a fall special to come see us for a mouthguard. Remember, enjoy fall and all it has to offer and remember to protect that SMILE!!
Dr. Michael C. Simms is a 2002 graduate of Creighton School of Dentistry and completed a 1 year residency at Idaho State University through the Idaho Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency. Dr. Simms also belongs to the Idaho State Dental Association and American Dental Association. Dr. Simms is in his 15th year of private practice and has a family practice that sees all ages.