Don’t Forget Your Athletic Mouth Guard

Whether you or your kids are involved in organized group sports or just play in a game every now and then, it’s important to always remember the athletic mouth guard, a piece of equipment as important as a shin guard or shoulder pad. Even a small crack in a tooth is enough to allow bacteria in, potentially causing an infection. A knocked-out tooth is an even worse situation. The best way to prevent these injuries is by wearing a mouth guard.

Research has shown that wearing a mouth guard can greatly reduce not just serious dental injuries, but the risk for concussions as well. A mouth guard should be worn for any contact sport, but here are a few in particular that require one.

Boxing

This is probably the most obvious sport that would require a mouth guard, regardless of the level. Suffering direct hits to the head is a part of the sport, making mouth guards integral in protecting the head and the mouth.

Baseball/Softball

These sports present several ways in which you can suffer an oral injury. A swing of the bat or a fast-moving pitch is all that is needed to do some serious injury to your teeth and gums. Customized athletic mouth guards can help prevent damage to your mouth, jaw, and head.

Martial Arts

Because any type of martial arts puts you in close physical contact with another person – with the objective to use kicks, jabs, etc. to incapacitate your opponent – the risk for injury is very high. Though the rest of your body may be more likely to sustain hits because there’s a greater area to attack, it’s important to keep your mouth protected as well.

Field and Ice Hockey

Both hockey on a field and on the ice present many risks for your teeth and mouth, whether due to impact from a hockey stick, puck, or another player. In a sport where it’s easy to incur injuries, it’s a good idea to keep yourself protected as much as possible.

Various Extreme Sports

Sports such as dirt biking, skateboarding, and even ultimate Frisbee are fun, but they have a great risk for mouth injuries. Wearing a properly-fitting mouth guard can protect against falls onto hard surfaces or blows to the mouth.

Although mouthguards are easy to find at pharmacies, these types will not fit very well, and therefore not offer the best protection. Pediatric dentists near me in Houston recommend getting a professionally-made, custom-fitted mouthguard that will do the best job of keeping your mouth safe.