Originally, mouth guards were developed to prevent one’s lips from being cut by their teeth during boxing matches. But quickly, their value as a protective device became obvious. Today, nearly all combat sports feature them as standard equipment, and they are becoming more and more standard in many other areas, including non-contact sports.

This includes a number where one wouldn’t normally expect them to play a big role. Games such as basketball, not traditionally regarded as a contact sport in the purest sense, has a relatively high incidence rate of dental injuries. Elbows, heads, and knees can conspire to break and crack teeth out on the court or field, which can easily result in the need for dental teeth implants, crowns, or extractions.

However, many sports have been resistant to the introduction of mouthguards as standard gear, despite their simplicity and ability to prevent injury. It is perhaps a mark of the inflexibility of the old crowd of coaches or sports authorities, but the fact remains that they do masterful job of protecting a set of teeth.

Mouth guards cushion and spread the force of blunt impacts, but that is only part of their safety offering. They cushion the softer tissue in the mouth, including the tongue, and reduce the ‘snapping’ of the jaw under load. There is also some evidence, admittedly somewhat anecdotal, that they can help to reduce the instance of concussions, especially those sustained as the result of a blow to the jaw.

In short, mouth guards are an integral aspect of any dental plan for the sportsmen and women in your family. Ensuring that they have access to a quality, well-fitting mouth guard – and more importantly, ensuring that it is worn – can help to preserve the state of your teeth and gums throughout this sporting season.

For premium dental teeth implants and gum care, National Periodontics is ready to help you. Visit one of our locations today, or call and book an appointment.