Mouthguards and Athletic Performance: Initial Benefits

When most people think about the use of mouthguards in pursuits like basketball, football or many other sporting activities, their minds naturally gravitate primarily toward the realm of protection and safety. This is completely understandable, as these are indeed the primary purposes of a mouthguard in these settings -- but did you realize that for many athletes, a quality custom mouthguard not only protects them, but even enhances their performance? 

At Damage Control Mouthguards, we're proud to offer the very best custom mouthguards available to a variety of athletes who may require them. Not only do our high-quality materials keep athletes safe and protected during their various pursuits, there are several ways they can improve your performance on the court or field in the process. This two-part blog series will go over the ways this can happen.

Comfort and Focus

First and foremost, a quality custom mouthguard is meant to fit extremely snugly and comfortably in the user's mouth. This ensures that their focus can be entirely on the task at hand, rather than on readjusting or fidgeting with their mouthguard. In fact, many athletes report feeling as though they forget they're even wearing a mouthguard once they become accustomed to it.

In addition, a good custom mouthguard will also stay in place no matter how much movement is taking place. This means that you won't have to worry about it slipping out of your mouth at an inopportune time or getting in the way of your breathing during strenuous activity.

Protection From Injury and Peace of Mind

Of course, one of the most important benefits of wearing a custom mouthguard is the protection they offer from serious injury. In contact sports, it's not uncommon for athletes to take a blow to the face that could easily knock out a tooth or injure their jaw. With a high-quality custom mouthguard in place, however, this is much less likely to happen.

Down related lines, many athletes find that wearing a mouthguard gives them a sense of peace of mind. Knowing that they're well-protected from injury can help them feel more confident and relaxed, which in turn may lead to improved performance.

Increasing Force

While more research is still needed, some studies have indicated that wearing a mouthguard increases neuromuscular force and power production among athletes. While researchers aren't quite sure why this is the case, it's thought that the extra protection and stability a mouthguard provides may allow athletes to exert more force without fear of injury. With a stable mouth and neck, athletes may feel more confident going all out, leading to better performance.

In the second part of this series, we'll go over a few more ways that custom mouthguards can benefit athletes and improve their performance on the court or field. In the meantime, if you're interested in getting a custom mouthguard of your own, be sure to contact our team at Damage Control Mouthguards today, where we'll be happy to help.