Patients can purchase athletic mouthguards at sports stores or through their dentist. While some dentists offer free custom mouthguards to their patients, many in dentistry assume that athletes will protect their teeth just as they do their heads and bodies during sports. If this is true, why does the CDC say that 600,000 people end up in the emergency room each year with dental injuries that occurred during sporting events? Estimates reveal that approximately 200,000 dental injuries are prevented each year in athletes (namely football players) who wear mouthguards.
Your Public Service Commitment
According to an article on the Colgate website, "Dentists estimate that between 13% and 39% of dental injuries occur while playing sports." The question becomes not do you as a dentist offer custom mouthguards, but rather are you sharing this important information with your patients?
Mouthguard Options
Three types of mouthguards are on the market today: stock guards, boil and bite fitted guards, and custom-fitted guards made by a dentist. Of course, the more custom the mouthguard, the better. Patients who wear braces should always choose the dentist-created mouthguard for safety.
Info for Patients
If you offer your patients mouthguards, be sure to warn them about proper cleaning or they could end up with health problems caused by the bacteria on their guard. Medical News Today offers tips for mouthguard cleaning here.
Interesting Fodder
This Colgate article tells of a boy who got his teeth caught in a basketball net and a girl who knocked her teeth out while bowling. While many people think athletic mouthguards are important for major contact sports, like football and hockey, few consider the possibility of injury in other sports, like basketball, bowling, horseback riding, and gymnastics. The truth is, all athletes should wear mouthguards. A smile is a terrible thing to waste!