There has been alot of press given to sports medicine these days. The potential for oral injuries is so great that a study done by the Academy for Sprts Dentistry found that every athlete in contact sports has a 10% chance every season for sustaining an oral or facial injury; the chance increases 33% to 56% over the course of an athletic career. Not only can these injuries be disfiguring, they also cost precious practice and play time.
Like everything else, prevention is key. Mouthguards can help prevent these injuries by protecting the hard tissue of the teeth and jaw bones as well as the soft tissue. Most athletes wear some sort of mouthguard. Unfortunately, many times the guard is ill fitting. The local sports mart carries one layer mouthguards and these do not provide adequate protection. Higher quality mouthguards are certainly more expensive, although less than the best quality guards custom made by dentists. One other option is a multi layer mouthguard. These can be ordered online. Of course, the best mouthguard won't work if left sitting in the sports bag. So, regardless of your age or sport, get a proper fitting, high quality mouthguard and WEAR IT!
Brian D. Johnson
Family and Cosmetic Dentistry
1240 Upper Hembree Road
Suite C
Roswell, GA 30076
770.993.9809
http://www.brianjohnsondmd.com/
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