Mouthguards for safety in sports
Posted by Judy Breck on January 19, 2008
The use of a mouthguard is a major deterrent to injuries to people who play sports. Because schools are a major sponsor of sports for youngsters, being informed on athletic safety is crucial. A website called Sports Dentistry Online has a great deal of useful information. It introduces its mouthguards section with the following, that makes the importance of using the devices clear:
In Dr. Raymond Flander’s 1995 study, he reported on the high incidence of injuries in sports other than football, in both male and female sporting activities. In football where mouthguards are worn, .07% of the injuries were orofacial. In basketball where mouthguards are not routinely worn, 34% of the injuries were orofacial. Various degrees of injury, from simple contusions and lacerations to avulsions and fractured jaws are being reported.
The National Youth Sports Foundation for the Prevention of Athletic Injuries, Inc. reports several interesting statistics. Dental injuries are the most common type or orofacial injury sustained during participation in sports. Victims of total tooth avulsions who do not have teeth properly preserved or replanted may face lifetime dental costs of $10,000 - $15,000 per tooth, hours in the dentist’s chair, and the possible development of other dental problems such as periodontal disease. It is estimated by the American Dental Association that mouthguards prevent approximately 200,000 injuries each year in high school and collegiate football alone.
avulsion: a forcible separation or detachment, referring in the above to what we might call having a tooth knocked out
orofacial: of or relating to the mouth and face
