Sports Dentistry

A gum shield is a protective appliance or device that is used to cover your teeth and gums during a physical sporting activity. A gum shield is more commonly known as a mouth guard.

Gum shields are important in order to prevent the following:

• Crown fracture – where part of the tooth you can usually see is damaged. This can range from a corner chipping off, to the whole crown being broken away.
• Root fracture – where the underlying foundation is broken.
• Luxation injury – where the whole tooth is moved and the blood supply to the pulp is injured as a consequence.
• Avulsion – where the entire tooth is lost.
• Pulp (nerve) injury – which can also occur after a small knock and months or years later the pulp dies on its own as a result.
• Injury to deciduous teeth, also known as milk teeth. Such injuries can sometimes harm the adult teeth that lie in the gum under the milk tooth.
• Some soft tissue injuries can also be reduced with a gum shield, including lacerations to the lips and gums.
• As well as damage to your own natural tissues, any dental work like crowns, veneers or bridgework, orthodontic treatment is at high risk of dislodgement with trauma.

A gum shield should be clean straight after use. Using a clean toothbrush and diluted mouthwash and left to dry.

Warm water is not recommended as warm will distort the gum shield material.

Over time, wear and tear can become visible due to the use of the gum shield. The gum shield will require a replacement at this stage.

Here at Colm Smith Dental, together with our dentists and dental technicians, we tailor the design and fit of each custom-made Gum Shield to suit all patients needs and requirements. This avoids any risk of choking.

We advise our patients not to attempt to repair their Gum Shield and phone to see a Dentist as soon as an issue arises.

On average, gum shields should be replaced after 2 years or after extensive dental treatment.