Has this ever happened to you? While playing basketball, you go up for a rebound and are hit in the mouth by an inadvertent elbow. While it stings a bit, you don’t notice anything until you wipe the sweat off of your face, and manage to catch a load of blood on your hands, which came from the bleeding tooth in your mouth.
You can prevent this type of sports injury by following various precautionary measures, most importantly by wearing a properly fitted mouth protector. While it is not the most fashionable piece of a sports uniform, the mouth guard is a device that absorbs the force of contact from that flying elbow, or even the habit of biting your teeth during that tense moment in the game. Ultimately, an hour or two with a mouthguard beats getting your teeth knocked out and the immense jaw pain that could come with it. And don’t forget about having to get your teeth replaced.
Do You Wear Braces?
Mouthguards are especially suggested for those with metal braces. This not only ensures the metal work stays intact, but also keeps the inside of your mouth from being cut up from the braces, and trust it does not feel too great, imagine a mouthful of sores.
Even if You Think You Do Not Need It
The common rule among us dentists is if the activity requires a helmet, you should wear a mouthguard. Yes, cycling may not appear as a “contact sport”, per se, but a chance fall that causes your mouth to hit the pavement might cause a large chip in your tooth.
They’re Not Just for You
A mouthguard can also prevent the other player from getting hurt as well. During a wrestling match back in Highschool, my teammate fell on top of me with his mouth open and with no guard. His tooth cut my eyebrow enough to require the mat to be wiped down before proceeding. His tooth and my eye would have felt a lot better if he had been wearing his mouthguard.
A properly fitted mouth guard will stay in place while you are wearing it, making it easy for you to both talk and breathe while playing in various athletic pursuits. Talk to Dr. Bosse, your Houston dentist, about how to obtain a mouth guard and other ways to protect your teeth during sporting activities.