Don’t Be A Knockout! Wear a mouthguard!
The statistics are startling – even when you’ve seen as many mouth injuries as we have. According to the National Youth Sports Foundation for Safety Fact Sheet, Athletes are 60% more likely to sustain damage to their teeth when not wearing a protective mouthguard. The American Dental Association has estimated that properly fitted facemasks and mouthguards prevent approximately 200,000 injuries each year in high school and collegiate football alone, and it’s not just youth who are vulnerable.
You could buy stock or boil-and-bite types from sporting goods stores, but honestly, we don’t recommend it as your first choice. The bottom line is that many athletes don’t know how to fit boil-and-bites properly or how to judge a stock model, and so end up with a poorly fitted mouth protector. These types do not provide the injury prevention or comfort that a properly diagnosed and fabricated custom-made mouthguard does.
Custom-fitted mouthguards from our practice work to prevent tooth loss, lacerations, and bruising. Secondly, although there is some debate about their value in preventing concussion, any benefit they provide in absorbing shock or providing jaw stability deserves the benefit of the doubt. We routinely custom-fit mouthguards that allow for ease of communication, proper breathing, and no slipping or choking. And we are experts on making sure all of the considerations listed above are taken into account.
Although the investment is a little more than the store-bought variety, a custom-fitted mouthguard’s importance is as high as the protective equipment you buy for the rest of your body. It’s worth it for your peace of mind and your healthy teeth.
© Patient News