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Protecting Your Teeth with Sports Mouth Guards in Douglasville

Most of us aren’t surprised to see ice hockey players with missing teeth. But you don’t need to be an ice hockey player to be susceptible to sports
related dental injuries. In fact, some of the most common dental injuries are the result of contact sports like basketball, soccer or lacrosse. However, with sports mouth guards made in our Douglasville dental office, your chances of getting a dental injury during a sporting event is greatly decreased.

Using a sports mouth guard while playing any contact sport reduces the risk of injuries to your lips, tongue, gums, jaw, and of course, your teeth, and protects your mouth from some of the most common dental injuries.

Sports mouth guards not only protect the inside of your mouth, they can also help protect you against concussions and jaw fractures. However, not every mouth guard can protect you equally.

There are three basic types of sports mouth guards:

• Stock mouth guards often fit loosely over the upper teeth, aren’t individually shaped, can interfere with breathing and speech, and tend to move around a lot and therefore don’t fully protect your teeth.

• Self-adapted mouth guards (often referred to as boil and bite) can be individually shaped during a heating-biting process but are still prone to move around in the mouth, are easily bitten through and can’t protect as well as a custom-made mouthguard.

• Custom-made sports mouth guards from your Douglasville dentist are constructed to fit your mouth like a glove. They last longer, are more comfortable and provide the ultimate level of protection.

Both the American Dental Association and the Academy for Sports Dentistry recommend a properly fitted custom-made mouth guard to reduce the risk of sports related dental injuries, and your Douglasville dentist can properly fit you for one.

If you’re joining a recreation league, your kids are trying their hand at basketball, or if you’ve been playing forever, the dental office of Dr. Jim Williams can help protect your mouth, and your smile. Contact us today to learn more about sports mouth guards in Douglasville.

Preventing Gum Disease in Douglasville

In our previous two blogs we’ve covered what periodontal disease is, how to recognize it, and how it can affect the rest of your body. All of us here at Jim G. Williams, DMD not only want you to be aware of the basics of periodontal disease and the dangers that it can cause to your overall health, we also think it’s important that you’re aware of how you can prevent gum disease in the first place.

Brush well and brush often!

Brushing your teeth at least twice a day, and, ideally, after every meal, is the easiest way to prevent gum disease. By using a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, brush your teeth for 2-3 minutes. Make sure to clean all sides of your teeth as well as your tongue to remove as much plaque as possible. If your gums hurt when you brush, it may be a sign of a more serious problem and it’s important to see your dentist in Douglasville as soon as possible.

Floss, floss, floss!

Flossing once a day will help remove any food particles and clean the spaces between your teeth that your toothbrush may miss. This is an important habit to to get into as cleaning in these hard-to-reach places can more effectively remove plaque and bacteria.

See your dentist regularly!

Because gum disease sometimes doesn’t have any symptoms in the early stages, maintaining your dental appointments is a very important step in prevention. Regular visits to your dentist at least twice a year ensures that your gums are healthy and that no problems are going unnoticed.

If you’re concerned about the health of your gums, or if you’re due for a checkup and cleaning, call our Douglasville dental office at 855-410-2757 to schedule your appointment today. We will perform a thorough cleaning and examine your gums for any problem areas. If we do find active gum disease, don’t worry! Although gum disease is scary, it is often easily treated. And if caught early, treatment is even easier. Don’t wait for gum disease to cause bigger problems. Schedule your appointment  today!