Should You Wear A Mouthguard While Playing Sports?

This month marks the first full month of Spring and that means it’s time to get back outdoors for some healthy activities. It’s also National Facial Protection Month and your All About Smiles holistic dentists in Wilmington wanted to remind all of our patients (no matter what age) that protecting your teeth while enjoying your favorite sport is extremely important.

Ask any dentist or dental specialist if a mouthguard should truly be an essential part of your sporting equipment and you’ll most likely get a resounding, unanimous “Y-E-S.” It’s because sports injuries to the facial area are actually quite common and can be quite costly to treat.

Did you know that the journal Sports Health recently published a study showing that over 5 million teeth are broken or knocked completely out annually? This costs the American public $500 million and is a huge factor in the increase in emergency room visits. That’s why it should come as no surprise that the Academy for Sports Dentistry (ASD), the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) and the American Dental Association (ADA) have joined together to raise awareness for the need for facial protection in most sporting activities.

At All About Smiles, we couldn’t agree more!

Let’s Face it: You Don’t Suit Up to Sit Down

Part of living a healthy, balanced life is getting plenty of exercise. Being involved in sports, especially team sports, is a great way to stay in shape and interact with others. But living an active life sometimes call for a little added safety – for protection and peace of mind.

If you participate in any of these sports or have a child that is an athlete, always make sure to have a mouthguard or other protection in place to decrease your risk of dental/facial injuries…

• “Ball and Stick” Sports
  Baseball, hockey, lacrosse, and any other matchup requiring the use of a stick or bat are common denominators in patients who come to us with facial injuries. Even though professional hockey and lacrosse players are required to wear protective mouth gear, accidents still happen.

• Basketball
  Go to any of the local parks in Wilmington or Philadelphia and take in one of the competitive pickup games and you’ll most likely see an absence of mouthguards. The same can be said for many of the local collegiate players too. Believe it or not, basketball (even though it’s considered a no-contact sport) has a high rate of dental and facial injuries each year.

• Wrestling, Boxing, and Martial Arts
  Most of these sporting activities on all levels whether amateur or professional, require competitors to wear a mouthguard and head protection. No matter what kind of competitor you are, don’t forget to keep your smile safe anytime you’re going for the big win.

• Thrill Seeking Sports (Skateboarding, skiing, etc.)
  There are plenty of places locally to grab your skateboard and bust some moves, but most of the time kids (and adults) don’t consider using a mouthguard or sports guard to protect their teeth. But unless you’re a professional (even they suffer a wipeout from time to time), make sure you’re not putting your smile in jeopardy following an ill-timed maneuver.

If you have any questions about the best way to prepare your teeth for your big sporting competitions or outdoor expeditions, just ask the friendly dental team at All About Smiles in Wilmington. We can create a custom solution just for you that won’t interfere with your ability always give your best effort and be a worthy opponent no matter what kind of competition!

About The Author

Dr. Lewis Yu

Dr. Lewis Yu, who graduated with a dental degree, completed a two-year postgraduate oral surgery training in New York City and Pennsylvania. Board-certified in Naturopathic Medicine and Integrated Biological Dental Medicine, he practiced in Philadelphia and New Jersey before joining All About Smiles. Dr. Yu is affiliated with the Holistic Dental Association and Talkinternational.com.

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