Archive for the ‘Mouthguards’ Category

Sports Dentistry and Injury Protection

It has been shown that there is a significant relationship to sports injuries and those that are sustained to the orofacial region.  As most of these injuries are sustained to dental regions and are preventable, athletes should be aware of the risks associated with sports and the measures they can take to prevent injuries that may sideline them.  Here are some facts that bring awareness to the concerns athletes should have regarding sports injuries:

• Athletes are 60 times more likely to sustain dental injuries when not wearing a protective mouthguard.
• The cost of a protective mouthguard is significantly less than that of a damaged or lost tooth.
• The chance of a dental injury for each athlete is about 10% each season and about 33-56% during their athletic career.
• The cost of not having a tooth properly preserved immediately (up to an hour) after it is lost can cost up to $20,000 per tooth over one’s lifetime.
• Estimates show that face and mouthguards prevent about 200,000 injuries each year in high school and college football alone.

The American Dental Association recommends wearing custom made athletic guards for the following sports: football, hockey, baseball, boxing, wrestling, bike riding, volleyball, skiing, soccer, basketball, skateboarding, water polo and weightlifting.

The use of mouthguards can lead to the prevention of knocked out teeth and the possibility of concussion prevention.  Besides the pain and suffering involved with a knocked out tooth, the costs associated with getting them fixed are substantial.  Concussions may be prevented through the use of mouthguards because of the shock absorption qualities they exhibit.  Mouthguards are resilient enough to protect the mouth yet comfortable enough to allow for regular breathing.  Mouthguards have been proven to prevent many sports related injuries and can reduce the effects of orofacial trauma.  Ask your dentist about athletic mouthguards before you or your children start another sports season.