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How Often Should Mouthguards Be Replaced and Why – Best Practices

How Often Should Mouthguards Be Replaced and Why

As a parent, you want to do everything in your power to protect your child from injury. As an athlete, it’s important for you to have the best protection possible when playing sports.

How often should mouthguards be replaced? How can I tell if my mouthguard is damaged? These are all questions that this article will answer and help you understand why mouthguards are so important!

How often should mouthguards be replaced

Usually, mouthguards should be replaced every six months. How do you know if your mouthguard is damaged? You can tell it’s time to replace the mouthguard when there are cracks in it or has any cuts on it.

A tooth that may be exposed because of a cut could lead to an infection. If you notice anything like this happening with your mouthguard, then you have to get a new one.

You should replace your mouthguard when the sports season ends. The absorbent material in a mouth guard will gradually lose thickness over time and become more compact, making it less likely to protect teeth from injury.

The best practices are to replace your mouthguard at the end of a sports season, every six months, or when the warranty on that mouthguard has expired.

To avoid gaps in coverage, it is recommended to purchase two mouthguards at a time and replace them before the “best by” date of one.

Why should you replace your mouthguard regularly

Replacing your mouthguard regularly is important to protect you from injury. A damaged mouthguard may not fit correctly when it’s inserted or can pop out of place, meaning that the teeth are unprotected. This could lead to an accident where a tooth might get knocked out.

A new mouthguard will also prevent any bacteria growth in your mouth. An old mouthguard can’t do that, which is something to be aware of as an athlete or a parent!

How to tell if your mouthguard needs replacing?

If you notice any cracks in it or cuts on the mouthguard, then it’s time to replace your current one.

When replacing a mouthguard, make sure that you get a high-quality mouthguard and know what size will fit best for you! You should also be aware of how often athletes get injured by wearing a damaged mouthguard.

A good sign of replacing it is if the mouthguard is deformed. Athletes typically chew their mouthguards between plays. This is a bad habit that we would recommend against for both reasons of comfort as well as breakage risk. However, athletes are far from perfect, and breaking the habit can be hard to do.

Chewing a mouthguard over time can wear it down, create crevices for bacteria to grow, and cause tooth decay or dental injury. If it doesn’t slip on easily without being twisted into place, replace then with a new one.

If you’ve had dental work done or lost teeth since your mouthguard was made, it may no longer fit properly and may not provide adequate protection for your teeth.

In order to ensure the best possible protection against injury, it’s important to have a mouthguard that fits both your natural teeth and any work that has been done on them. Speak with an orthodontist or dental professional about replacing your mouthguard if you are undergoing orthodontic work or if teeth are starting to shift.

How do you know which mouthguard to buy

The most important thing to look for when buying a mouthguard is that it has been approved by the American Dental Association.

A good way to know this is if you see “ADA Approved” written somewhere on the package. Then there’s no question about whether or not the mouthguard will protect your teeth from injury.

It is also important to know what sport will you practise. High-impact sports like MMA or boxing will require a different mouthguard compared to softball or powerlifting. For example, a mouthguard for powerlifting will work differently compared to one for boxing.

Make sure to select the right size for your mouth. Measure the distance from one canine tooth to the other, and then select a size that is closest to this measurement.

Also, remember that you should always have two mouthguards on hand. So that when one expires or needs replacing, it’s easy!

Conclusion

Mouthguards are the best protection for your teeth, lips, and jaw. However, they can be damaged by even light use so it’s important to replace them often!

In this blog post, we’ve covered everything you need to know about mouthguards. From why they’re necessary to how often you should replace yours.

You can check out more articles on our blog.