Why should Athletes wear a properly fitted mouthguard?

Properly diagnosed, designed, and properly fitted fabricated mouthguards are essential in the prevention of athletic oral/facial injuries and secondary trauma. In a 1995 study, it was found there was a high incidence of injuries in sports other than football, in both male and female sporting activities. In football where mouthguards are worn, .07% of the injuries were orofacial. In basketball where mouthguards are not routinely worn, 34% of the injuries were orofacial. The various injuries ranged from simple contusions and lacerations, avulsions (teeth knocked out), concussions and broken jaws.

Most often, the most common type of head injury is dental in nature. Loosing a tooth can be an expensive situation. with costs ranging from $1,000 to $15,000 per tooth in lifetime dental costs. The American Dental Association estimates that mouthguards do prevent over 200,000 injuries each year in high school and collegiate football alone.

The term "mouthguard" is a rather generic term today, there are many different products that go by the same name. The "over the counter" ones that everyone is familiar with to very properly fitted custom mouthguards delivered by a dental professional Almost all mouthguards worn today are from the variety that can be purchased "over the counter", only 10% are custom made by a dental professional for the athlete.

If a mouthguard is to be made correctly, it must fulfill several different objectives & goals. A Mouthguard criteria list includes but is not limited to: Fit well and cover all THE teeth Be protective of the teeth Resistant to tearing or shredding Least bulky possible while still providing protection Comfortable to wear and for breathing Adequate thickness to prevent concussions Allow speaking with minimal interferences Should be overseen by a Dental professional Why should Athletes wear a properly fitted mouthguard?

With no guard or a guard that is not properly fitted there is usually no consistent space between the lower jaw and the base of the skull which can result in injuries to the athlete.

With a properly fitted custom fitted guard you will get 2-4 mm of space which will help protect you against injuries, you will breathe better and have more confidence. You should always consider the option of getting a custom properly fitted guard!

Without a properly made and fitted mouthguard, your lower jaw will still be in contact with the base of your skull, increasing the possibility of secondary trauma and concussions. It is extremely difficult to have a store bought mouthguard provide the proper protection to your jaw. Each person has a different size and shape jaw, by using a stock mouthguard will decrease the protective abilities of a mouthguard. Why should Athletes wear a properly fitted mouthguard?

With a properly made and fitted mouthguard, your lower jaw is NOT in contact with the base of your skull, REDUCING the possibility of secondary trauma and concussions. Why should Athletes wear a properly fitted mouthguard?

Every Athlete should:

Have a full dental exam a minimum of once a year, it is recommended to have 2 exams per year.

Have all cavities and broken teeth fixed prior to any bout and before having any custom mouthguard made to ensure a custom fit

The mouthguard, also known as a mouthpiece or sportsguard is a device that fits into the mouth over one or both arches of teeth. They are typically made of vacuum-formed or heat laminated plastic. The most common type of mouthguard can be boiled to a hot temperature, then placed in the user's mouth, where it will mold to that person's teeth.

However, other types of mouthguards exist, such as custom made properly fitted mouthguards or the very inexpensive stock mouthguard, which has almost no ability to adjust to the athlete’s mouth.

Mouthguards are most commonly used to protect against injury during contact sports where injuries to the face and head are a major hazard, such as martial arts, mixed martial arts, boxing, wrestling, basketball and weight training. Like a seat belt in a car, your mouthguard should always be worn when you may have contact with another athlete. Why should Athletes wear a properly fitted mouthguard?

The Nevada State Athletic Commission MOUTHGUARD STUDY...

A random study was conducted by Dr. Adam Persky with the consent of the Nevada State Athletic Commission from December, 2005 through March, 2007. In total, samples were obtained at 36 events, from amateur level to high-level professional contests, and over 580 mouthguards were examined. Contestants were interviewed during the weigh-ins, and mouthguards were inspected, measured & photographed prior to the contests.

Using the criteria as a member of the American Academy of Sports Dentistry, simply on the quality of the mouthguard and looking for a minimum thickness of 1.5 mm of good consistent material with no holes, no tears and no damage, Dr. Adam Persky would have given 453 of the 580 mouthguards a failing grade and would not have allowed them to be used at a Boxing or MMA Event.

Athletes and Trainers should note that stock and boil and bite mouthguards bought at sporting good stores do not provide the protection that is recommended by dental professionals.

Poor fitting mouthguards can’t deal with the individual characteristics athletes have. Athletes do not play the same sport under the same circumstances and experience. They do not compete at the same level of competition. They are not the same age and do not have the same size mouth. They do not have the same number and shape of teeth.

How can a one-size-fits-all mouthguard be properly fitted?

This is the why mouthguards bought at sporting goods stores, without the recommendation and direction of a qualified dentist, should only be considered as a last resort when a properly fitted guard is not available. Why should Athletes wear a properly fitted mouthguard?

Summary of Important Mouthgard Facts

The Nevada State Athletic Commission requires every athlete who is competing in the State of Nevada to have 2 properly fitted mouthguards.

It is recommended that every athlete have a minimum of one dental exam per year to make sure there are no oral health problems and should have those problems corrected prior to fighting and getting a properly fitted mouthguard.

Every athlete should highly consider having a properly fitted mouthguard done by a dental professional. You only get one set of teeth and need to protect them.

Each month the athlete should inspect their mouthguard to make sure it fits properly, has no holes, tears and covers all of the teeth with a minimum of 1-1.5 mm of material. The thicker the material the more protection one receives.

Mouthguards should be worn at ALL times, during practice as well as during bouts.

Remember…..an accident can happen at any time.