Back to school means back to fall sports for many children, teens and young adults. Starting with football season, school sports are challenging, fun and potentially dangerous, with the chance of injury lurking around every play.
When people think about sports injuries, typically arm, leg and head injuries come to mind. However, dental injuries are just as common when it comes to contact sports. A great way to prevent such injuries is with a mouthguard.
According to the Pennsylvania Dental Association, approximately one-third of all dental injuries are sports-related, and many are preventable by use of a mouthguard. Mouthguards protect the teeth, lips, tongue, cheeks, face and jaw from potential impact and injuries, by providing a tough, protective surface to dispel forces of impact. This minimizes the severity of traumatic injury to the head.
Chipped and cracked teeth are the most common dental injuries from sports. Chipped, cracked, knocked-out or otherwise damaged teeth can affect eating and speaking habits, and absent teeth can cause the jawbone to lose mass over time. A hard blow to the face during a sports game can easily cause damage to unprotected teeth. Mouthguards also offer additional protection from concussions by cushioning impacts sustained from the jaw and helping to limit movement in case of a hard hit.
Mouthguards are cheaper than any visit to the dentist to fix damaged teeth will be, so taking preventative action now will cut costs in the future. Several mouthguard styles exist, so talk to your dentist about the best kind for you and your family members.
The least expensive mouthguards are stock mouthguards, but these offer limited fit adjustment. A boil and bite mouthguard is heated and placed in the mouth to mold itself to the teeth. Custom-fitted mouthguards are made by your dentist from a cast of your mouth, and offer the best protection, comfort and fit. Those who have braces or other fixed appliances on the lower jaw should use a custom-fitted mouthguard to ensure that these dental fixtures aren’t damaged during contact.
With fall sports soon kicking off, don’t forget the importance of mouthguards. Tooth-related injuries prove to be some of the most problematic injuries, and are yet often overlooked in the world of sports. Protect your teeth and prevent injury with a custom-fit mouthguard. Call Genesee Dental today at 585-343-1113 or schedule an appointment online now to learn more.