That’s why it’s so important for adults and children who are active in sports to wear protective gear such as helmets, shin guards, knee and elbow pads, and mouth guards. Wearing a mouth guard can prevent serious injury and save a lot of pain. Each year this simple safety measure prevents more than 200,000 oral injuries among athletes.

Facial and head injuries can be sustained in nearly every game, from “contact” sports such as football, soccer and basketball, to “non-contact” sports like baseball, gymnastics, tennis, or cycling. Damage to the teeth, lips, tongue, jaws and skull are frequent occurrences in both children and adults. Although more research is needed, mouth guards may help prevent serious injuries such as concussions. It has shown that mouth guards definitely help prevent fractured jaws and teeth, severe cuts to the cheek and tongue (often requiring surgery for repair), and traumatic damage to the roots and bone that hold teeth in place.

Mouth guards are designed to help cushion the mouth, teeth and jaw, preventing significant damage where sports injuries are most prevalent. While mouth guards are not required equipment in many sports, wearing one is an important precaution for athletes of any age and ability.

There are generally three types of mouth guards available in the market.

Custom-Made. Formed by your dentist from a cast model of your teeth, these custom-made guards are designed to cover all the teeth. Custom-made mouth guards may be slightly more expensive than commercially produced mouthpieces.

Mouth-Formed. These guards are generally made of acrylic gel or thermoplastic materials shaped to fit the contours of your teeth. They are placed in boiling water then attempted to be formed and molded to the teeth.

Ready-Made Stock. Commercially produced, off-the-shelf mouth guards are the least expensive, but also the least comfortable and the least effective protective mouthpieces.

Now comes the latest technology in mouth guards that fits using the boil-and-bite technique, the Brain-Pad Pro Air mouth guard. It is a revolutionary piece of protective gear that simply repositions the lower jaw down and slightly forward and locks it in a safety position so that impacts from sports keep the end of the jaw from getting slammed into the base of the skull and brain. Although custom made mouth guards will generally fit the upper teeth better, the lower jaw is not locked away from the base of the skull and brain. With ready-made stock mouth guards, the lower jaw can easily get slammed into the delicate bones of the skull and ear canal. These impacts can cause damage that last long after the games are over. Its front airway will allow free airflow and let the wearer talk and breath better than with most mouth guards. This is because the structure of the Pro Air allows the wearer to get their tongue behind the front teeth and allows better articulation. The Pro Air should be cleaned regularly with toothpaste or mouthwash or any anti-microbial cleaning agent. When not in use, it should be stored in its protective case.