1. Cover up Your Mouth During Sports
Tooth and mouth injuries are by far the most common in most contact and moving sports and fitness regimens. From falling off a bike to getting slammed in a football game, a hit to the mouth can create expensive and long-term problems. Wearing the proper helmet and mouth guards recommended for your sport is the best way to avoid those injuries. For particularly rigorous contact sports, look for a helmet with a full-face guard or separate mouthpiece.
2. Not the Mouth
Sports that include punching and kicking such as karate, wrestling and kickboxing put the mouth and teeth at risk every time you compete. Hold your opponent to the rules of the game and make sure a referee upholds the guidelines. When you see a punch or kick coming to your face in the more extreme arenas that allow face contact, turn your head to avoid contact with your mouth. Once teeth are loosened, they always will be more vulnerable to injury.
3. I Can't Talk Right
Wear a mouthpiece if you think your mouth will be a target of contact. Boxing is the one sport that not only exposes you to head hits, but that encourages punching all over the face. Mouth guards are made of supple plastic and slip right over the teeth. They don't offer 100 percent protection but can help to alleviate some of the pressure from a punch. Hockey players all wear mouth guards, yet most have mouths full of dentures because of the speed at which they take the pucks in the mouth.
4. Keep it Shut
Many athletes and avid exercisers develop the habit of breathing through an open mouth. This habit can set you up to be slammed with flying objects and falls that can crack or chip the teeth. Practice proper breathing techniques, no matter what kind of workout or game you are involved in, to get in the habit of breathing through a closed mouth. Take deep breaths through your nose and release the air through slightly parted lips.
5. Slip and Slide
Always be aware of the conditions in which you will be working out or playing. If it is raining or you are working out on a slippery floor, wear footgear that has good treads that will prevent slipping. While the sports that bring your mouth into direct contact with a fist or an object are obvious places to wear mouth protectors and helmets, half the mouth injuries that doctors see are from slips and falls when the person was not paying attention to the floor.
