5 Points for Wearing a Mouth Guard During Sports

It’s easy for people to not realize what they have until it’s gone. Imagine what it would be like if you were missing one of your front teeth? You’d probably be a bit embarrassed smiling and talking, and eating would feel strange as well. The good news is that taking preventative measures to protect your teeth can diminish the chances of you having a toothless smile.

Wearing a mouthguard when playing sports decreases the risk of injuries to the mouth or jaw. Some sports players don’t like to wear mouthguards because of their appearance while wearing one, but more injuries can happen when not wearing a mouthguard that can affect your appearance in a much more inconvenient way. Here are five reasons why you should always protect your pearly whites when participating in any contact sports or collision sports where unexpected contact can happen:

1. Protection Against Tooth Fractures

Mouthguards protect your teeth from chipping and breaking. Even though tooth fractures can usually be saved, why go through the risk when wearing a mouthguard can save you all the trouble?

2. Protection Against Tooth Replacement

Wearing a mouthguard is cushion for your teeth, so if a ball hits your face your teeth don’t receive a crushing force. However, if a ball hits your mouth without a mouthguard, it can result in completely breaking or ruining your tooth, leaving you with a toothless smile and an emergency call to our office. Having a gap in your smile due to an accident that could have been prevented isn’t worth it.

3. Protection Against Soft Tissue Injuries

Some contact sports involve quick impacts that could leave you biting through your tongue or lips! A mouthguard can prevent soft tissue injuries by creating a soft resistance when teeth contact your lips and tongue.

4. Protection Against Concussions

According to the American Dental Association, mouthguards could help reduce the severity and incidence of concussions. A properly fitted mouthguard decreases the likelihood of sustaining concussive injury because the padding between the mandible and the maxilla can lessen the force of the mandible pushing up on the skull near the brain, which causes a concussion.

Wearing a protective mouthguard protects your from jaw fractures. Impact to the neck or jaw could result in serious injury, but with the protection of a mouthguard during an impact, it reduces the likelihood of jaw dislodgement or neck trauma.

The Academy of General Dentistry estimates that mouthguards prevent more than 200,000 injuries each year! Using a mouthguard won’t only help prevent you from dental and jaw injuries but can also prevent damage to braces or other orthodontic work. If you’re ready to take the step to save your smile when playing sports, contact us for more information about mouthguard protection.