Tag Archives: Philip Gentry

Custom fit sports mouthguards

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GW lacrosse mouthguards I designed
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GW basketball mouthguards I designed

Custom made pressure laminated athletic mouthguards made by a dentist experienced in sports dentistry will provide the most comfortable fit and the best protection against injury. They are more durable and longer lasting than over the counter mouthguards. Mouthguards protect your teeth, mouth, face, lips, jaws, and of course, your brain. Research has shown that custom made mouthguards reduce the incidence of concussions and brain injuries.

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mouthguard I designed for the Naval Academy

A study published in the May/June 2014 issue of The Academy of General Dentistry Magazine found that high school football players wearing store bought mouthguards were more than twice as likely to suffer traumatic brain injuries than those wearing dentist custom fit mouthguards. The study followed 412 players across six high school football teams. Three teams were assigned to wear custom fit mouthguards and three teams wore store bought mouthguards. The findings showed that 8.3% of the athletes wearing store bought mouthguards suffered concussions while 3.6% of the players wearing custom fit mouthguards suffered concussions. All players used the same type of helmet.

The study also showed that the thickness was a factor in the level of protection. The average thickness of custom made mouthguards was 3.5 mm and the average thickness of the over the counter mouthguards was 1.65 mm.

These dentist custom fit multi-laminated mouthguards are comfortable, and last much longer than store bough mouthguards. With these mouthguards the players breath easier and this improves oxygen intake and game performance! With a good custom fit mouthguard the players can speak and communicate better on the field. This is very important for point guards in basketball that need to be calling plays all the time. The quarterback can talk to the team and call audibles at the line of scrimmage without having to take his mouthguard out.

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The custom dentist made mouthguards that I make have 2 layers of EVA material plus 3 unique power dispersion bands that will absorb the impact force energy and reduce transmitted forces. This helps prevent concussions and traumatic injuries. I can make them in the team colors and with any logo and with the player’s name on them. The mouthguards look great and feel comfortable, and if athletes love them, they will be more likely to wear them and be protected.

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GW Woman’s basketball team
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Go GW!!!

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Dr. Gentry’s article in The Elm, The University of Maryland

The University of Maryland

Halloween-Dental-Care

Tips for Your Teeth: Halloween Edition

Tips for Healthy Teeth

  • Eat Halloween candy right after meals. The saliva produced during meals will help dilute the acids produced by the mouth bacteria in response to the sugar and the saliva will help rinse away food particles.
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  • Avoid candy that lasts a long time. It’s the length of time the sugar is in your mouth that is the critical factor. The longer the candy is in the mouth the more damage to the teeth.
  • Stay away from sticky candy. The longer the sugary candy is stuck to the teeth the more decay will occur. Stay away from gummy bears, sticky fudge and taffy. Stay away from sour candy. Sour candy is highly acidic leading to erosion of enamel.
  • Drink more water. Tap water with fluoride is best. This will help wash away the candy.
  • Eat good healthy foods and don’t fill up on sugary candy. You need good nutrition for healthy teeth and gums.
  • Stay away from sodas and sports drinks. The frequent contact with the sugary liquid will increase damage to teeth.
  • Chewing sugarless gum after eating candy will cause increased saliva production, which will neutralize the acid in the mouth and wash away food.
  • Brush as soon as possible after eating. If you ate sour or acidic foods rinse with water a few times first to neutralize the acid so not to push the acid into the enamel. Brush for two minutes.
  • Floss! Flossing removes plaque and food stuck between the teeth where the toothbrush can’t reach.Happy Halloween
  • Visit your dentist regularly to catch dental problems early, and “treat” them before they get really scary. … Remember good oral health is a major contributor to good overall health.

by Philip A. Gentry, DDS, FAGD
Fellow, Academy of General Dentistry
Dean’s Faculty, Clinical Asst. Professor, Department of General Dentistry, Advanced Education in General Dentistry,
University of Maryland School of Dentistry

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Halloween treats that Dr. Gentry hands out to trick or treaters

From The Horse’s Mouth

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Dr. Gentry examining Stewie

Horses have 2 sets of teeth, 24 baby teeth, which are replaced by 5 years of age by between 36-40 permanent teeth. These consist of 6 upper and 6 lower incisors, 12 upper and 12 lower back premolar and molar teeth. Most male horses also have canine teeth, called fighting teeth, while females do not. There is an interdental space with no teeth, just gums, between the incisors and premolars. This is where the bit part of the bridle is placed.

Horses eat pretty much constantly for 10-12 hours a day and their teeth continuously erupt to offset the wear from the repeated chewing. Young adult horse teeth can be 5 inches long. Most of the tooth is under the gums and it slowly erupts about 1/8 of an inch each year until the horse gets old and eventually the teeth become very short and eventually fall out.

It is possible to tell the approximate age of a horse by its teeth. The expression “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” means that it is rude and ungrateful to check the teeth of a horse given to you as a present, as you would one you were considering purchasing. So don’t be ungrateful when you receive a gift.

Horses teeth wear unevenly and develop sharp edges, which irritate and lacerate the tongue and cheeks and make it difficult and painful to eat and have the bit in their mouth. A procedure called floating the horse’s teeth, where an equine dentist smoothes the sharp edges is done 1-2 times a year.

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