Gear Up This Spring With a Sports Guard

Chances are that one of the first things you do before heading out in the hot sun is to apply a generous layer of sunscreen to protect your skin. And while it’s also common knowledge that you have to protect your head, eyes, knees, elbows, and feet from impact and falls when you play sports or engage in certain physical activities, many people neglect to protect their teeth. 

Investing in a sports guard is a quick and affordable way to protect yourself and your kids from dental trauma (and the additional costs involved in fixing it after the fact). Our dentist Dr. Ramin Mahallati and the dental team at the Center for Implant and Esthetic Dentistry offer customized sports guards in our Beverly Hills, California, office.

Why you should invest in mouthguard

According to data published by the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), as many as 39% of sports injuries affect the teeth and gums. While some sports and physical activities are riskier and more prone to impact and the chance of trauma, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association (ADA) recommend that children wear a sports guard for any physical activity that could put them at risk for a dental related sports injury.

Mouthguards are a standard piece of equipment for some sports, but the list of activities that the ADA includes in its recommendations for sports guard use might surprise you:

• Handball
• Skydiving
• Basketball
• Ice hockey
• Soccer
• Bicycling
• Inline skating
• Softball
• Boxing
• Lacrosse
• Squash
• Horseback riding
• Extreme sports
• Field hockey
• Football
• Gymnastics
• Martial arts
• Surfing
• Racquetball
• Volleyball
• Rugby
• Water polo
• Weightlifting
• Skateboarding
• Wrestling
• Skiing

Wearing a sports guard can take some getting used to in the beginning, but just like any good oral hygiene and health habit (like brushing and flossing for example) with a little practice, it’ll become second nature. 

Sports-related dental injuries

Getting one or more teeth knocked out is probably one of the first things to come to mind when thinking about sports injuries. According to statistics, approximately five million people lose one or more teeth every year as a result of a sports injury. 

Broken teeth, chips, cracks, and fractures are also common among sports injuries. In some cases, a tooth can get pushed up into the gums or jaw bone (known as tooth intrusion). Soft tissue injuries like cuts and lacerations to the cheeks, gums, and tongue are also a risk.

Replacing missing teeth and fixing other sports-related dental injuries can be painful, expensive, and time-consuming. A sports guard is a minor investment with big and long-lasting results.

For more information about protecting your teeth and gums from accidents and other oral health problems, contact our Beverly Hills office today by calling us at 310-846-8386. You can also book an appointment with Dr. Mahallati online.