MOUTHGUARDS AND SPORTS SAFETY IN MISSISSAUGA

“Mouthguards Help You Play Sports Safely”

PREVENT SPORTS-RELATED INJURIES WITH A MOUTHGUARD

Do you play sports? If yes, you should use appropriate face and head protection including a properly fitted mouthguard during the sporting activity to minimize the risk of injury to your face and protect your smile.

According to Canadian Institute for Health Information, during 2018-2019, 26,937 Canadian were hospitalized due to sport and winter injury. Cycling accounted for the highest number of injuries (3,919), followed by all-terrain vehicle (2,442), playground (1,859), ski/snowboard (1,800), and snowmobile (1,089). Although a hockey puck is a 170 gram piece of solid rubber that can hit a player’s mouth at a speed of up to 193 kilometer per hour or a player can fall on ice, hockey contributed 655 hospitalizations representing less than 2.5% of all hospitalizations.

Injury prevention is critical because of you experience an oral and maxillofacial injury, you will have to cope with the short-and medium-term challenges of treatment and recovery. In addition, there may be potential significant long-term consequences on your health and quality of life.

Mouthguards are required or commonly used in some contact sports such as hockey, boxing, football and lacrosse. Sports mouthguards are mandatory in Canada for most minor hockey players, amateur football, amateur rugby, karate, taekwondo, lacrosse and amateur boxing.

A mouthguard can help you prevent dental and orofacial injuries if you play other contact and non-contact sports such as baseball, softball, gymnastics or skateboarding. If you experience a direct blow to your jaw or teeth, a mouthguard can act as a shock absorber.

Therefore, a mouthguard should be a key piece of your sports gear regardless of your age.

Despite the benefits of mouthguards, only 1 in 5 players actually wears a mouthguard.

A MOUTHGUARD CAN SAVE YOU THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS

Sports injuries can have a range of effects on you – embarrassment, avoiding social contacts, negatively impact your ability to eat and speak.

In addition, treating a sports-related dental injury can cost you thousands of dollars (life time cost of treating a front tooth can be between $5,000 to $20,000). Therefore, wearing a custom-made mouthguard can be money well spent.

The Academy for Sports Dentistry recommends that you wear a properly fitted mouthguard if you participate in any of the following activities:

Acrobatics

Baseball

Basketball

Bicycling

Boxing

Equestrian Events

Extreme Sports

Field Hockey

Football

Gymnastics

Handball

Ice Hockey

Inline Skating

Lacrosse

Martial Arts

Racquetball

Rugby

Skateboarding

Skiing

Skydiving

Soccer

Softball

Squash

Surfing

Tennis

Track & Field Events

Ultimate Frisbee

Volleyball

Water Polo

Weightlifting

Wrestling

FOR PROTECTION AND COMFORT WEAR A CUSTOM-MADE MOUTHGUARD THAT FITS

Although you or your child can choose to purchase a ready-made mouth at a store, you should wear a custom made by your dentist mouthguard that:

fits properly and is comfortable;

is flexible and durable enough that it won’t tear or break;

is thick enough (3 mm or more) to hold up to a heavy hit;

doesn’t make it harder for you to speak or breathe;

stays in place (you should not have to clench your teeth together to keep the mouthguard in place);

is easy to clean.

If you wear braces or other appliances, a custom-made mouthguard can accommodate the orthodontic treatment process.

The more comfortable your mouthguard, the more likely you are to wear it regularly. Generally, mouthguards last for 2 to 3 seasons of play.

Talk to your dentist at Dunwin Dental about mouthguards and select the type that works for your needs and budget. She will consider several factors when fitting you for a mouthguard, including: