The Facts.

• The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 300,000 people get sports-related concussions a year, with children and teens at the highest risk.
• That’s on top of the 600,000 kids who end up in the emergency room each year for sports-related dental accidents.

Mouth guards prevent damage to the teeth, jaw and inside of the mouth. But that’ s not all. They can also help prevent concussions.

According to the CDC, mouth guards may prevent 200,000 oral injuries a year, reduce the risk of concussion by 50 percent and prevent injury to the teeth by 60 percent.

Mouth guards are mandatory for youth ice hockey, football and lacrosse, but their use shouldn’t be limited to just those sports. More concussions occurred among athletes playing soccer than almost any other sport. It’s important to use a mouth guard during any activity where there is a strong chance for contact with other participants or hard surfaces, including basketball, baseball, wrestling, bicycling, in-line skating and martial arts.

With all it can do to protect the teeth and the head, mouth guards are one of the most effective pieces of protective equipment in sports!

Wearing a mouth guard can prevent all kinds of injuries, such as:

• Fractures of the facial bones, especially the cheek bones and mandible, which can cause facial deformity.
• Possible permanent injury to the jaw joints.
• Broken teeth and teeth knocked out or displaced from their socket.
• Concussions, cerebral hemorrhages and incidents of unconscious.
• Neck injuries - by helping to avoid situations where the lower jaw gets jammed into the upper jaw.
• Preventing laceration and bruising of the lips and cheeks, especially for those who wear orthodontic appliances.

Young children, in particular, often sustain damaged or dislodged teeth, fractured jaws and lacerated lips when playing sports.

Did You Know?

• A tooth that is dislodged can be reimplanted, treated with a root canal procedure and last for many years if the tooth is kept moist in milk or liquid and treated quickly.
• Half of all dislodged teeth that are reimplanted last 20 years.

Positive Results

Since 1962 when it became a requirement to wear mouth guards and helmets in high school and college football during practice and competition, the percentage of injuries to the face and mouth dropped from 50% to .5%.

You can get protection from three types of mouth guards:

• Stock: These preformed mouth guards can be purchased at most sporting good stores and provide adequate protection.
• Boil-and-bite: Boil-and-bite mouth guards are stock mouth guards that are boiled in hot water and then molded to the athlete’s mouth.
• Custom: A dentist can make a custom fitted mouth guard for athletes

They vary in price, but no matter how much you spend on a mouth guard, all effective mouth guards should meet the following requirements:

• Covers the teeth and gums.
• Is comfortable and fits to the roof of the mouth.
• Remains securely and safely in place during action.
• Allows speaking and does not limit breathing.
• Is durable, resilient, tear resistant, odorless and tasteless.

It’s not only important to wear a mouth guard, it’s important to keep it clean. Mouth guards can harbor food particles, bacteria, blood, dirt and other debris which can cause mold to develop. Yuck!

To keep your mouth guard clean:

• Brush the mouth guard with a toothbrush and toothpaste after use.
• Soak in denture cleaning solutions for 20 to 30 minutes once per month.
• Freshen up the mouth guard by soaking it overnight in a cup of mouthwash.