Remember — Always Wear Your Sports Mouthguard During Practice Sessions Too!
Marshfield News Herald
Healthy Lifestyle Page – Article
Dental Clinic of Marshfield, S.C. — August 2011
My colleagues and I at the Dental Clinic of Marshfield have seen a great number of preventable sports related mouth injuries. That’s why, as the new school year approaches and organized athletics are beginning, we want to alert parents and athletes about the indisputable benefits of using mouthguards for practices— as well as during games. In an effort to prevent facial injuries and mouth trauma, we would like to see the use of mouthguards become as common as wearing a bike helmet or protective pads when skateboarding.
A mouthguard is a curved piece of material, usually polyvinyl, that fits over your teeth. You can get a custom-made mouthguard from your dental office, or here at the Dental Clinic of Marshfield. When looking for a mouthguard, find one that is comfortable, durable, easily cleaned, stays in place, and does not impede speech or breathing. Customized mouthguards provided the best fit, comfort, and protection.
Although we support the use of mouthguards for all contact sports and those where the athlete has the potential to collide with another athlete or hit any hard surface, we’ve found athletes remain resistant to wearing a mouthguard during other sporting activities—as well as practice sessions. A mouthguard is the very best protection you can offer your smile.
In a recent Delta Dental survey, it was reported that even though football and hockey require mandatory protective gear, only 70% of parents noted that their child wears a mouthguard during both football practice and games—and only about 44% say that their child wears a mouthguard for hockey practice and games. It is estimated that each year mouthguards prevent more than 200,000 injuries. Although orofacial injuries are traditionally associated with contact sports such as football and hockey, findings show that soccer players are more likely than football players to sustain an orofacial injury and basketball players have a risk up to 15 times that of football players!
Hockey and football players are not the only athletes who need mouthguards. In fact, the American Dental Association compiled a list of 29 sports for which it recommends them. The sports noted by the ADA vary from gymnastics to weightlifting, water polo to squash and any other activity where you face the risk of having your teeth damaged or knocked out, either through collision with another athlete, or when coming into contact with a hard surface.
Remember, it is important to wear your mouthguard all the time. That means wearing it for every practice and during your games. Protect your smile and get into the habit of wearing a mouthguard whenever you participate in organized or leisure sporting activities.
Dr. Curtis Kracht, D.D.S. is a General Dentist involved in Sports Dentistry at the Dental Clinic of Marshfield. For more information about custom-fit sports mouthguards, or to schedule an appointment, please contact the Dental Clinic of Marshfield.
