Sports Mouth Guards

A single blow to the mouth or jaw can cause serious dental damage that is very painful and expensive to treat. You can minimize the risk of this type of injury by using a mouthguard when you take part in sports and other recreational activities. Mouthguards are resilient appliances that fit over your teeth. When worn during sports activities, mouthguards help protect against injuries to the teeth and other areas in and around your mouth. The risk of this kind of injury is commonly associated with contact sports, such as football, rugby, hockey, and boxing. However, dental and other mouth injuries may also occur as a result of contact with people or objects during many other athletic activities, including basketball, soccer, squash, gymnastics, skateboarding, and taekwondo. While the number of mouth injuries caused by sports activities is relatively low, the cost of these injuries is relatively high, especially if there is damage to the teeth. Depending on the type and extent of a dental injury, a single blow to the mouth may result in months or even years of treatment, with costs ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

How Mouthguards Protect You

When you are hit in the mouth or jaw, a mouthguard acts as a cushion that redistributes the force of the blow, so the impact is absorbed more evenly. A mouthguard also provides a barrier between your teeth and the soft tissue in and around your mouth. Many studies have shown that mouthguards help prevent chipped or broken teeth and protect against cuts to lips, gums, and other soft tissue in the mouth area. Some studies claim that mouthguards may also help prevent other types of injuries, such as concussion, cerebral hemorrhage (bleeding from a ruptured blood vessel in the brain), and neck injuries. At present, the scientific evidence supporting these claims is not conclusive. However, the Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine (CASM) issued a Position Statement in 2004 suggesting that mouthguards should be worn during participation in soccer “for the definite dental protection they provide and the possible role in concussion prevention.”