Do You or a Child Play Sports? Talk to Us About Mouthguards

When people think of mouthguards and sports, they think of boxing or football. But the reality is that there are many sports for which a mouthguard would be helpful.

Mouthguards Improve Athletic Performance

There have been studies that show clenching the jaw is an instinctive reaction to physical exertion. Whenever the jaw clenches, stress hormones like cortisol are released. That hormone is known to inhibit physical ability, increase fatigue, and can affect an athlete’s focus by causing a physical distraction.

Reduce Impact

Certain mouthguards can reduce the G forces that impact the head and result in a concussion. Wearing a custom-fit mouthguard can reduce forces to the jaw by up to 20%. By reducing the impact on your jaw, you not only protect your teeth but also your brain.

Even Non-Contact Sports Improve with Mouthguards

A wide variety of mouth wear is available, from options that protect in full-contact sports like football or hockey to limited contact sports like soccer or baseball. Even people participating in non-contact activities like horseback riding, gymnastics, golf or tennis can benefit from the performance mouth wear.

Custom Performance Mouthwear is designed to pivot the jaw forward which stops the cycle of clenching – cortisol release – fatigue. By breaking the cycle, the athlete is better able to perform and complete their tasks.

Talk to Dr. Chiappetta, Dr. Haugstad, or a member of your dental team today about custom-fit mouthguards and how we can help you protect your oral health and improve your athletic performance.

Garner, D.P. and Dudgeon, W.D. (2011). The Effects of Mouthpiece Use on Cortisol Levels During an Intense Bout of Resistance Exercise. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

Dena P. Garner, Wesley D. Dudgeon, Timothy P. Scheet and Erica J. McDivett (2011). The effects of mouthpiece use on gas exchange parameters during steady-state exercise in college-aged men and women. The Journal of the American Dental Association, 2011;142;1041-1047

Bowen, A., Caffey, S., Garnett, C., Greene, G., McRae, C., Morin, T., Nolan, B., Shealy, T. and Garner, D. (February 2009), Dept. of Health, Exercise and Sport Science, The Citadel, Charleston, SC 29409. The effect of mouthpiece use on muscular endurance. Presented at the 2009 Southeast Regional Chapter of American College of Sports Medicine (Birmingham, AL)

Padgett, Katie (2005). Evaluation of the Effects on Human Performance Characteristics and Peak Head Accelerations with the Use of Various Intra-Oral Appliances. Knoxville, University of Tennessee.