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Mouthguards
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| A mouthguard is the best protection
for your teeth, whether you are playing football, netball, basketball,
soccer, lacrosse, rugby...just to name a few. There are three
types: |
Stock mouthguards
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| Rigid plastic, store bought. Very difficult to
talk and breath whilst playing sport.
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Boil and
Bite
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Made from thermo plastic material which is softened in hot
water and placed in the mouth to mould to the teeth as bitten.
They are cheap and often do not fit well. In South Australia,
individuals can be taken to the School Dental Service to be
fitted properly with a moulded impression.
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Custom
Fitted Mouthguard
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Made by a dental
professional using a special shock absorbing material. It is more expensive with costs
increasing in proportion to the thickness of the laminate. It should fit the mouth
perfectly and allow natural breathing and speech.
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Hints on making a mouthguard part of your Smartplay
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- Get a mouthguard before the season starts.
- Have it fitted correctly and adjusted until you are happy
with it.
- Make it a colour that you like.
- If you don’t want anyone to notice the mouthguard
make it white or clear.
- Wear it at training before the season starts.
- Wear it at all trainings and games during the season.
- Look after the mouthguard during the season and ensure it
is cleaned regularly.
- If your teeth change because you're growing get a new one.
If a dental professional fits your
mouthguard and it is uncomfortable, take it back and get them to adjust it.
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Tooth knocked out?
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First aid management
- if tooth is dirty rinse in the athlete's saliva or milk
- reinsert tooth into socket
- athlete should hold tooth in position
- refer urgently to a dentist.
If the tooth cannot be reinserted, store
it in athlete's mouth, in container of milk or athlete's saliva
until dental assessment.
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Do
- handle the tooth by the crown (white) only
- rinse briefly in milk or saliva
- store it in milk
- seek dental treatment immediately.
Don't
- scrub tooth clean
- touch the roots
- let the tooth dry out
- store it in water.
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Dumbest mouthguard and dental tricks we have heard of...
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- Leaving it in your bag after winning the grand final and
finding a great mouldy growth at the start of the next season.
- Using boiling water to clean a dirty mouthguard and then
wondering why it doesn’t fit properly.
- Cutting your mouthguard so small that it doesn’t
protect your teeth and poses a choking hazard.
- Complaining your mouthguard doesn’t fit properly and
then telling everyone it’s actually your brothers.
- Losing a tooth during the first quarter on a muddy ground
and only looking for it after the match.
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| Got any funny
stories? Email us and we will add them to the
list!
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