Athletes can opt against wearing mouth guards for several reasons, including discomfort, difficulty speaking or the belief that they might not need one. However, athletes are 60 times more likely to sustain an injury to the mouth when not wearing a mouth guard as opposed to having one in place, according to the Massachusetts Dental Society.
Teeth Injuries
Many athletes wear mouth guards to protect their teeth. Mouth guards help to protect against teeth being chipped, broken or knocked out of the socket. The mouth guard helps to cushion the blow from a fall, errant elbow or other sort of traumatic collision, and absorb and disperse the impact away from your relatively fragile teeth.
Lip and Jaw Injuries
A properly fitting mouth guard can help prevent mouth, lip and jaw injuries as well. Your teeth can easily puncture your lips, tongue and cheeks during an injury, which almost always leads to stitches and blood. If you have braces, a mouth guard is even more beneficial to protect your dental work. Athletes also turn to mouth guards to help absorb the impact of the lower jaw slamming into the upper jaw, which can help prevent facial fractures as well as neck injuries.
Concussions and Brain Injury
Outside of injuries to the teeth and mouth, mouth guards can help prevent against concussions and cerebral hemorrhages. Clenching your teeth against a mouth guard helps to stabilize the head and neck muscles, lessening the damage done by a blow to the head. According to Sports Dentistry Online, wearing a mouth guard can decrease the pressure in the brain by 50 percent on a blow to the chin.
Insurance and Ease of Use
Most mouth guards are affordable and have the benefit of being customizable. Many brands are available in team colors that match your helmet or uniform. Some mouth guards even offer dental insurance with their mouth guards, giving athletes even more of a reason to wear a mouth guard.
References
- Massachusetts Dental Society: Grin and Wear It
- Florida Dental: Mouthguards Prevent Injuries
- Consumer Guide To Dentistry: Mouth Guards: Types and Advantages
- Family Gentle Dental Care: Mouthguards
- Shock Doctor: Custom Mouth Guard Warranty
- Sports Dentistry Online: Concussion Prevention and Athletic Mouthguards
