Fatlip Sports Guards
With our great new offer on at the moment of 2for1 on our trademark Fatlip sports guards; we decided to interview the man who makes them, Colin Orsbourn, our onsite clinical dental technician.
Here’s what he had to say…
Hi Colin, With sports becoming much more encourage and accessible nowadays, the damage to teeth and gums is increasing. Most people know about the boil and bite guards you can buy but can you tell us what the difference is between a shop bought sports guard and a Fatlip sports guard?
Colin – Hi, Well there’s a big difference between the two sports guards.
Boil and bite guards come in either small, medium or large sizes, they are then warmed with water and moulded around teeth and gums. This process does not give an accurate fit, resulting in inadequate protection, breathing and speech which is not what anyone is looking for when getting a form of mouth protection.
Fatlip sports guards are bespoke manufactured by taking a mould of the mouth with a material that covers all areas of the jaw, resulting in a custom fit which ensures the mouth guard remains in place during a sporting activity giving maximum protection.
That makes sense. What is the procedure of having a Fatlip Sports guard made then?
Colin – First we would need an appointment where we would look at the patient’s mouth, discuss all of the options and choose the colour/colours they would like. We would then take a mould of the mouth and with this mould we would then make a plaster cast. This cast is then used to make the sports guard with a PVA laminated sheet which is heated and pressure moulded around the cast creating that custom fit.
The patient would return a few days later for the sports guard to be fitted.
That’s great and it only takes up to a few days to make!
What are the actually benefits of a sports guard then? And what kind of sports do you recommend wear them?
Colin – I feel sports guards are a necessity in any sport, they are a great protection to the lips, teeth, tongue, gums and jaw as it absorbs impact and protects. I would recommend anyone playing sports to wear them not just contact sports as commonly thought. For example netball, football and even horse riding should all wear one for protection. If you think about it, compare the rising prices as well as the pain of broken teeth, the cost of a sports guard is inexpensive. We can also do our sports guards in team colours which can be aesthetically pleasing especially if a whole team match.
That’s great, so can the Fatlip sports guards come in any colour?
Colin – Yes, they can be individually designed, choosing from 35 colours or any 3 different colours combined, we can also insert names and logos too giving them that extra personal touch.
If Bespoke Dental Care had their own personalised Fatlip sports guard, what colours would it be?
Colin – It would most definitely be green, with probably black and white on it to match our logo.
Of course. Lastly how long do sports guards last?
Colin – Great question! It depends on age with children due to the mouth and jaw changing so much – possibly every season. However with adults they can last longer but should regularly be checked for damage and changed when needed to maintain maximum protection.
