Mouth guards are protective, flexible shield and are worn over your teeth during sports and other activities which might involve high risk of impact on face.

They help prevent common dental injuries like chipped, broken or knocked out teeth, broken jaw, and injuries to lips, cheeks, gums, face and tongue.

An ideal mouth guard is comfortable and tight fit, must allow normal breathing and swallowing, not cause gagging, is odorless and tasteless, allow normal speech and thick enough to provide maximum protection against an impact, stay firm on your teeth, durable and easy to clean, resilient.

Stock, bite and boil, and custom fit are the basic types of mouth guards available.

Custom-fit mouth guards are the best option as they are customized according to your needs and fit perfectly.

A dental professional makes them so they provide better protection.

Usually mouth guards cover your upper teeth area, but in few cases where you wear braces or any other fixed appliance in the lower jaw you might require it for lower teeth also.

Like any other dental appliances, you have to take proper care of your mouth guards.

Do remember to rinse them with cold water before and after use, always use a mild soap and toothbrush.

Place them in a firm and perforated container, so as to have proper air circulation.

Protect it from extreme temperatures like hot water and hot surfaces, to avoid distortion. Remember to check it for any wear and whether you might need to replace it with a new one.

Mouth guards should be used by anyone who play sports such as football, boxing, soccer, ice hockey, basketball, lacrosse, and field hockey.