It’s no surprise that it’s important to protect your teeth while playing sports, however as much as 39% of all dental injuries are related to sports injuries to the face or head. Sports like football, hockey, basketball and other contact sports are a cause of concussions, tooth injuries like chips and breaks, and dislodged (knocked out) teeth. Avoid serious injuries by taking simple precautions, such as wearing a mouth guard, a facial cage or a helmet while playing sports.
Mouth Guards: Custom-made vs. Store Bought
Many sports do not require the use of a mouth guard, but it is important to protect the mouth, teeth and jaw. A mouth guard must be fixed in place during practice or while playing sports in order for it to be effective.We advise you to talk to your dentist about designing a custom mouth guard. A custom-made mouth guard fits to the alignment of your teeth preventing it from moving out of place and making it more effective at reducing the impacts of sports. If you wear braces or a dental appliance talk to your dentist or orthodontists about special care. A prefabricated mouthguard is another option, it is a standard, nonadjustable mouthguard that fits atop the teeth but could be less effective if it does not fit well to the alignment of the teeth.
Facial Cage to Protect the Face and Jaw
Nearly 21% of all traumatic brain injuries are caused by sports or recreational activities. Brain injuries can affect the functionality of all other parts of your body, it is important to be fully protected while playing sports. Helmets and facial cages can indirectly protect your teeth and mouth from injuries. A facial cage protects your teeth, face and mouth from potential trauma. We highly recommend that you use a facial cage while playing high-contact sports including football, hockey and rugby to protect against the force delivered to the face and jaw while playing these sports.
Helmet to Protect the Head
Four to five million concussions resulting from sports occur annually. To protect yourself from serious potential injuries,we recommend that you wear a helmet at all times while playing high-impact sports, during both practice and games.
Make sure to protect yourself from sports and injuries by taking care to wear the appropriate equipment and ensuring that protective gear fits properly. Should you experience a dental emergency contact us today! .
We pride ourselves in making every athlete smile and preventing injuries with custom mouth guards and quick emergency dental care available 6-days-a-week at our 58+ locations in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio.
