KEEP YOUR (MOUTH) GUARD UP

Keep Your Guard Up

Its that time of year again. Weekends have a purpose still, because it’s football season!

For youngsters, this time of year is a time to kick back, take a seat, and make bets. As for the parents and families of the athletes, this time adds a whole new level of excitement and anxiety.

Do not let game day be payday for the dentist.

Prevention, Retention, Protection!

Several injuries can occur when doing any sports. A few of the most common injuries for contact sports, such as football according to SportsHealth Sage, “include tooth (crown) fractures; tooth intrusion, extrusion, and avulsion; and temporomandibular joint dislocation. (NCBI.gov).” These procedures are painful and not to mention, expensive!

One way to keep your athletic loved one’s feet on the field, and teeth in their mouth is by having a great mouthguard. According to Sports Health Sage, “Mouth guards help prevent most injuries and do not significantly affect ventilation or speech if fitted properly. (NCBI.gov).”

The Guardian Angel of the Mouth

“According to the American Dental Association (ADA), more than 200,000 oral injuries are prevented each year by wearing a mouthguard. (PerfectTeeth.com).” Wearing a mouthguard can lessen the impact on your teeth!

When playing a rough contact sport, like football, most of the players don’t even realize how many times their body is taking impact. Additionally, they don’t realize the effect these encounters have on their teeth. Mouthguards absorb the force of the impact by using the resilient material surrounding each tooth. This way, their teeth are less susceptible to cracking, or subtle damaging to the enamel while playing.

Another tremendous and gruesome benefit of a mouthguard is: keeping you from biting your tongue off!

Okay, maybe that is a bit of a dramatic way of putting it. But in reality, thousands of sports injuries involve athletes biting their gums, cheek, and tongues. Mouthguards can prevent the jaw from sliding out of position, and biting a delicate part of the mouth.

Lastly, another reason mouthguards are the guardian angels of the mouth is that: they can potentially save you from brain damage!

Most people don’t realize how close the relationship is between the teeth and the brain. Not only are they anatomically near each other, but there are multiple connecting nerves between them as well. Therefore, protection of the mind and security of the teeth go hand and hand. Just as an athlete would never play football without their headgear, the same should go for using a mouthguard.

So, protect your smile this football season and ask us about investing in a great mouthguard at your next visit!