Kristie CerutiWhen going to the field, court, or rink your dental patients most likely will be sure to have uniform, cleats/skates, and any other gear.
One piece of equipment that they should always include: a mouthguard.
When patients ask ‘Why do I need a mouthguard?’ the reason is simple: to protect teeth, jaw and gums.
Even when patients think they are playing in a “limited-contact” sport like baseball or basketball, it’s important to know that those sports are just as dangerous as, or even more so than football, because the risks for athletes include:
* full contact collisions,
- suffering a fall during competition
- contact from elbows, hands, arms or from flying equipment.Need a more details to share?
Here are five reasons why your dental patients should be wearing a mouthguard for all games and practices:
- Prevent injuries to your teeth, jaw and gums.
As mentioned before, a mouthguard is a protective piece of equipment, just as important as a helmet or athletic supporter. There are many different ways to sustain an orofacial injury during an athletic event; your patients shouldn’t take the risk. Don’t miss playing time because of sustaining an injury. Most boil and bite mouthguards these days are lightweight, and form fitting, so they won’t hamper the ability to play, yet provide protection to teeth, jaw and gums.
- The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends wearing a mouthguard for ALL sporting activities.
There is a reason that the ADA recommends a mouthguard and that’s because real damage can occur by not wearing one. The statistics show that an athlete is 60 times less likely to suffer a dental injury when wearing a mouthguard versus not wearing one. That is a pretty staggering number when you think about how easy it is to pop a mouthguard in.
- Mouthguards are mandatory for football, hockey, lacrosse and wrestling.
If your patients play or participate in one of these sports listed above, then the decision is easy – use a mouthguard or don’t play. But a mouthguard should also be used even if it isn’t mandatory, as recommended by the ADA.
4. Sporting activities account for the greatest percentage of traumatic dental injuries in teens.
Research shows that 50% of children and teens will end up with a dental injury by the time they graduate high school. Those are not good odds. The use of a mouthguard could help reduce that number down immensely.
5. Up to 39% of all dental injuries are related to sports.
Nearly two out of every five dental injuries happen during a sanctioned sporting event, whether it is a game or practice. More than 5 million teeth are knocked out each year. And 200,000 oral injuries are prevented by wearing a mouthguard.
