Among dental problems, trauma to the teeth is the most common injury found in athletes. In their efforts to keep London healthy, the dentists have been constantly on the go to aware people of the different dental problems.
The dentists arrange seminars; distribute literature on the different dental issues, etc. just to make sure that everyone is well aware of how to maintain proper oral hygiene and the preventive measures to protect teeth from damage.
It is through these efforts that athletes have been educated to wear mouth guard during their sports activities to make sure that they prevent their teeth from any injury. Mouth guards are designed in a way to act as protective layer to prevent trauma.
The sports in which the athletes must wear mouth guard includes football, basketball, hockey, bicycling, soccer, boxing, skiing, skateboarding, etc. It is important to note here that some individuals buy mouth guard without consulting their dentist, which is not advisable.
You can choose from the three different mouth guards. One is ready made, second is boil and bite and the third is custom made. The best of them all is the custom made. The reason is that your dentist is going to make one according to the anatomy of your teeth and structure of your jaw to provide you with maximum protection.
The preferred material to make mouth guards is ethylene vinyl acetate. The standards followed while fabricating mouth guards includes a minimal labial thickness of 3 mm, a minimal palatal thickness of 2 mm, minimal occlusal thickness of 2 mm, and extension of the mouth guard into the vestibular borders.
For the custom made mouth guard, your London dentist will obtain an impression of your teeth by using dental putty and then makes the mouth guard from the mould, which will provide you with the perfect mouth guard that fits impeccably on your teeth.
So whichever mouth guard you decide to buy, just make sure that it is comfortable, is a brand label that ensures resistance to wear off, one that does not impair your breathing and that can be easily washed and cleaned for next use.

Medics rushing out with accident victims bleeding from their mouth and knocked out teeth is a common scene at London playgrounds and schools, and we can see similar pictures in popular English sports channels also. We can generally prevent such accidents by using a mouth guard. Mouth guard is a custom-made cover made of rubber, which protect your teeth and gums from damage.  You can consult your local dentist and he will be happy to provide you with one. It is important that you wear a mouth guard when you participate in sports activities, especially contact sports. The medical term for knocked out tooth is “avulsed” tooth. This is a medical emergency, where the victim suffers from  pain of avulsion and the mental agony arising out of losing of teeth. Our general perception is that once a tooth is knocked out it can never be saved; but that is wrong. If we can preserve the knocked out tooth and reimplant it within 60 minutes, the chances of saving it for life is great. For this, we should be aware of the do’s and don’ts about preservation of the knocked out tooth. You should pick up the tooth by the crown only and NEVER touch the root and if possible, place it back in its socket itself. Alternatively, we can keep it in between the gums and cheek.  If the tooth is dirty, wash it gently in running water or milk. Never scrub or wash it with disinfectant, which can damage the tooth. . If immediate reimplantation is impossible, we can preserve it in milk, saliva, or in saline solution. A kit is available in London pharmacies, i.e. H.B.S.S (Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution), which is similar to saliva. It is very important that the tooth should not be allowed to dry out. Drying of the tissues drastically reduces the success of reimplantation. The tooth should not be stored in water, as it damages the cells on the surface. As this is a very common incident in schools and sports centres in London, it is of prime importance that all parents, school authorities, and coaches should be given training in first aid and proper preservation of teeth. We should take special note that if the person has head injury or shows any signs of unconsciousness, vomiting, or difficulty in breathing, never attempt to put the tooth in his/her mouth. There is no need to preserve a milk tooth as this may damage the formation of permanent tooth bud. The most important thing in saving an avulsed tooth is keeping it moist in its natural environment and get it reimplanted by a dentist as early as possible.