Types of athletic mouthguards.

There are three basic types of sports mouthpieces: Stock, "Boil and Bite" and Custom. Each varies as to method of fabrication, level of protection and cost.

                       A) Stock     B) Boil-and-Bite     C) Custom

A) Stock -

Availability: Sporting goods and drug store retail outlets and websites.
Cost: $1 (in bulk) to $15 (individually)

What are they?

A "stock mouthguard" refers to a preformed mouthpiece that's sold ready-to-be-used without any additional customization by the wearer.

Advantages / Disadvantages.

While they are the cheapest type of guard, the level of protection they provide is typically minimal too.

They're frequently only available in a few sizes (i.e. small, medium, and large). And as a result, they're often ill-fitting, uncomfortable to wear and don't stay in place well. Additionally, size limitations sometimes dictate that the wearer's back teeth aren't full covered as is required for maximum protection.

To compensate for their lack of retention, athletes are frequently forced to hold them in place by way of clenching their teeth, which can make it difficult for them to speak and breathe.

In some cases, the wearer may attempt to improve functionality or comfort by way of trimming their appliance. If taken to an extreme, this type of customization can unwittingly compromise the level of protection the product can provide.

B) Boil-and-Bite -

Availability: Sporting goods and drug store retail outlets and websites.
Cost: $1 (in bulk) to $40 (individually)

What are they?

A "boil and bite" mouthguard refers to a type of appliance that is made out of thermoplastic materials.

The purchaser customizes its fit by immersing it in hot water (until it becomes soft and pliable) and then placing it in their mouth and using their fingers, lips, tongue, cheeks, and biting pressure to seat and form its contours. Boil-and-bite products are the most used type of sports mouth protector.

Advantages / Disadvantages.

A criticism of this type of mouthguard is that during the customization process the thickness of the plastic covering the chewing and biting surfaces of the teeth may become thinned out, thus compromising the amount of protection that the guard is capable of providing.

Additional criticisms include: 1) They are often bulky. 2) They may fail to cover over the wearer's teeth and jaws adequately, due product-size limitations, incorrect product selection or errors in the at-home customization process.

The retention of this type of mouthguard can be expected to be better than a Stock product but typically inferior to the fit of a custom-made appliance.

C) Custom -

Availability: From your dentist or companies providing dental laboratory services.
Cost: $100 to $300

What are they?

Custom sports mouthguards are those protectors made in a dental laboratory, specifically for the person who will wear it.

Advantages / Disadvantages.

A well-designed custom product is generally considered to be able to provide the highest level of protection. Its design can be individualized not just for the athlete but also as to the level of protection it needs to provide.

The fit and comfort of a custom mouthguard can be expected to be excellent, and therefore create minimal inconvenience when worn. The more comfortable and unobtrusive a protector is the greater the likelihood that it will be worn.

While the cost of this type of appliance is more than its stock or boil-and-bite alternatives, it should be considered money well spent (see below).

How are custom sports mouthguards made?

The process of making a custom guard begins with taking a dental impression. To do so, an "impression tray" is filled with a putty-like substance that sets within a few minutes after having been squished into place over the patient's teeth and gums.

This impression is then filled with plaster so create a cast of the athlete's mouth. A dental laboratory technician then designs and fabricates the mouthguard on this cast.

The finished product is usually completed within a week or two. It's then delivered to the dentist who will check its design and refine its fit in the patient's mouth.

Don't be penny-wise and dollar-foolish.

Yes, getting an athletic mouthpiece involves an expense. But when its cost is compared to the possible outcome of not wearing one, its price should be seen as a bargain.

Consider the following points:

• Having a white filling placed as a repair for a chipped tooth (even a relatively minor one) can easily cost in the neighborhood of $100 or so.
• Major dental repairs (such as having root canal treatment and then a dental post and crown placed, or any type of tooth replacement) can cost anywhere from just a few, up to several thousand, dollars. (10 to 30 times the cost of a Custom appliance.)
• Of course, the above fees don't include other important factors such as the time and inconvenience associated with having the work performed.
• Beyond the cost of the initial dental work, you can also expect that additional treatment will be needed in the future. No type of dental restoration can be expected to last a lifetime.

With all of these issues considered, when it comes to sports mouthguards, an ounce of prevention really can be worth a pound of cure.