Mouth guards are a piece of safety equipment used in many sports, including semi-contact sports such as soccer. During the game of soccer, a player is at risk of head-to-head collisions or receiving an elbow in the mouth. Goalkeepers or players on the ground are also at risk of dental injury.
History
Historically, mouth guards were not used in soccer. Over the years, research has surfaced regarding the benefits of wearing a mouth guard as a piece of safety equipment in the sport. The California Dental Association reported a 2009 study on sports injury conducted by researchers from the University of Texas, which found that each year, 200,000 dental injuries are prevented by young athletes wearing a mouth guard as safety equipment.
Rules
Mouth guards were not mandatory under the rules of most soccer states and organizations, though some organizations have incorporated mouth guards into their rule books. High school soccer in Massachusetts dictates that all players who take the field must wear a protective mouth piece. The Massachusetts high school rule book cites that a player wearing a mouth guard is 60 times less likely to sustain damage to the teeth.
Dental Injury
The California Dental Association reports that mouth guards are effective in preventing dental injury, such as teeth getting knocked out by an acute blow or tooth contact that can cause severe lacerations to the tongue and lips. Other potential dental injury that can be suffered during soccer is traumatic damage to the roots and bone that hold the teeth in place.
Concussion
Mouth guards are reported to absorb some of the impact of direct blows to the head during a soccer game, as well. Sportsguard Laboratory reports that wearing a mouth guard as safety equipment helps prevent young players from suffering head and neck injuries, such as concussions and jaw fractures.
Types
Different types of mouth guard are available on the market. The most common form is the stock mouth guards that are placed in boiling water and molded to your mouth. These guards are made of acrylic gel or thermoplastic materials. Custom-made mouth guards are available from a dentist who will create it from a cast model of your teeth. The California Dental Association states that custom-made guards are the most expensive, but offer the best comfort and fit, as well as the maximum protection against dental injury.
