With the back-to-school rush upon us, many of our patients are preparing for preseason sports practices and an exciting fall sports season. While many students in our community are focusing on grabbing the latest trends in sportswear and equipment, I have been fielding a lot of questions from parents (OK, and the occasional conscientious student) about mouthguards. As I frequently tell parents, because all the research points to the protective benefits that a mouthguard can provide, any student athlete playing contact sports should wear a mouthguard during practices and games.
Benefits of a Mouthguard
The mouth and face of a child or young adult can be easily injured if the proper precautions are not taken while participating in sports or recreational activities. The stats are staggering... Student athletes have a 10% chance of suffering a facial or dental injury while on the playing field and almost one-third of all dental injuries are sports-related. The good news is that many of these injuries are preventable... According to the Acadeny of General Dentistry, an athlete is 70 times more likely to sustain damage to the teeth when not wearing a mouthguard.
Wearing a mouthguard provides cushion during an impact and can reduce trauma to the teeth, lips, tongue, face and jaws. Most frequently, a mouthguard prevents broken and chipped teeth, reduces the likelihood of teeth being knocked out and lowers instances of jaw fractures.
Mouthguards are Especially Important When an Athlete is in Braces
Wearing a mouthguard is especially important for student athletes in braces. In fact, sports injuries can be exacerbated by braces when there is contact between the soft tissue in the mouth and the braces. A mouthguard can act as a barrier between the braces and the cheeks or lips, which reduces the risk of soft tissue lacerations (like cuts that can cause bleeding) or more significant injuries. For this reason, orthodontists generally recommend special mouthguards that are designed to fit over braces, so a student athlete can continue on the road to a beautiful smile without giving up the activities he or she loves.
Younger Athletes may also Benefit from the Protection of a Mouthguard
According to the American Dental Association, "more than half of the 7 million sports and recreation-related injuries that occur each year are sustained by children as young as 5 years old... The National Youth Sports Safety Foundation (NYSSF) forecasted that more than 3 million teeth would be knocked out in youth sporting events" on an annual basis. We recommend that our patients begin to wear a mouthguard during contact sports as soon as their permanent teeth begin to erupt in the mouth, typically around 6-7 years of age (around the age most kids first visit an orthodontist). Depending on the type of activity, mouthguards may be advisable even earlier, so parents should consult their children's pediatric dentist or orthodontist.
Think of a Mouthguard as an Important Piece of Sports Equipment
While snagging a good football helmet, hockey stick or soccer cleats may be your student athlete's focus, a mouthguard is one most important (and inexpensive) pieces of sports equipment available. If you want your student athlete to smile like an All Star, it is strongly recommended that you add a mouthguard to your back-to-school list.
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