Should You Wear a Mouthguard?
If you play a contact sport, the answer is yes! Mouthguards are the primary form of defense for the teeth and the tongue when collisions with people or implements are a risk in your sport. The American Dental Association (ADA) lists 26 sports where mouthguards are recommended. To emphasize these recommendations, April 2014 is National Facial Protection Month. To help protect your teeth while playing sports, our Carmichael dentists at the Marconi Dental Group use our own in-house dental lab to produce customized mouthguards for all sports.
Do Mouthguards Work?
Mouthguards keep your teeth where they belong — in your mouth!
Again, the answer is yes. As a former participant in martial arts, Dr. Alizadeh made mouthguards for himself and his friends and can testify to their value in protecting the teeth, gums, lips and tongue during strikes to the face. For other sports, one estimate from Colgate and Columbia University states that 200,000 football injuries are avoided each year by players using mouthguards. On the opposite end, one estimate from the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation cites that approximately three million teeth are knocked out each year during adult and youth sports due to failure to wear mouthguards! Four out of five dental injuries from sports affect the front teeth — the ones that are most visible. So athletes in contact sports should consider a mouthguard an essential piece of equipment.
What Do Mouthguards Accomplish?
Mouthguards protect against two different types of injuries:
- Impact injuries,
- Entanglement injuries.
Impact in contact sports is easily understood. Your face gets hit, possibly dislodging a tooth or causing your own teeth to cut your soft oral tissues. Mouthguards cushion the teeth, lessening impacts, and preventing lacerations. Entanglement issues occur when your teeth get stuck in equipment, or even other players after collisions. Failed slam dunks have resulted in teeth left in the netting and flying bodies cause accidental bites that leave teeth behind from the impact. We have even heard of a man who knocked out his two front teeth when using a doorway pull-up bar, although the home gym would normally not be considered a mouthguard zone. Nevertheless, mouthguards keep your teeth where they belong — in your mouth!
The Marconi Dental Group Makes Mouthguards
The ADA believes that customized mouthguards created by your dentist provide the best protection against injury. “Do-it-yourself” mouthguards from the sporting goods store generally fit poorly and pop loose at the worst possible moment. Customized mouthguards fit perfectly, making it easier to speak and breathe, while minimizing the risk of loss due to impact. Arrange a consultation with our Carmichael dental office to discuss your sport, the value of mouthguards and a fitting for a custom mouthguard. Call us at 916-589-6462, visit our office at 4350 Marconi Avenue, Suite 100 or contact us via our website to get a mouthguard personally tailored for you and your sports today!
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