Each year, thousands of adults and children are treated for dental injuries that could have been prevented or minimised by simply wearing a mouthguard. The Australian Dental Association strongly recommends the use of a mouthguard in any sport or activity where collision or contact is likely, during both games and training. Often injuries in sports or activities that occur, are those we didn’t even consider to be a danger. It’s always best to ‘play it safe’ and wear a mouthguard to protect your teeth.
Who Needs a Mouthguard?
Anyone who plays a sport or undertakes an activity where collision or contact to the face is a risk should wear a mouthguard. Sports such as rugby union and league, AFL, hockey and boxing are ‘no brainers’ because intentional collision, are part of the game.
However, it is sports where accidental collision occurs that are often responsible for dental trauma, such as cricket, basketball, netball, touch football, and soccer. These sports are considered ‘non-contact’ and yet they also carry a risk of accidental collision.
It does not matter if you are just during training or you are during a game, the risk is always there.
The consequences of an injury to the face.
Dental trauma from sporting injury can include damage to the tooth nerve, fractured, cracked or knocked-out teeth, a broken jaw, damage to the tongue and cut lips. Unfortunately, a single event of dental trauma can lead to a lifelong need for dental treatment in order to maintain the strength and health of the damaged tooth or teeth. Some treatments do not last forever so a damaged tooth will often need attention more than once. Prevention is always better than the cure, so play it safe and wear a mouthguard.
The best protection.
The Australian Dental Association recommends a custom-fitted mouthguard for all those who participate in contact sports or sports with high risk of dental injury. A custom-fitted mouthguard that has been designed by Tooronga Family Dantistry makes breathing and speaking a lot easier when wearing your mouthguard. You are overall a lot more comfortable than the ‘boil-and-bite’ counterparts. These are the mouthguard that you can purchase from a chemist or sports store that offer less protection as they are ill-fitted and loose in the mouth, which can be dangerous during impact or they may come out altogether.
It is important to stay safe when playing sports, don’t let an injury take away the fum from the game.