Top Sports Risks for Tooth Injuries in Charlottesville

Are your children active in sports? Are you? Up to 39% of dental injuries are sports related. Some sports, like football or hockey, seem obvious in the need (and requirements) for mouth guards. But it might surprise you to know that other sports carry a higher risk of injury than either football or hockey. Some of the riskiest sports for men are:

• Baseball
• Basketball
• Biking
• Wrestling

For women, some of the riskiest sports are:

• Basketball
• Field hockey

In another study, 75% of all orofacial injuries and 56% of all concussions occurred when the athlete was not wearing a mouth guard.

The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that mouth guards for adults and children should be used for any sport that carries a risk of mouth injury.

There are mouth guards available in sporting stores; some are even available in a drug or grocery store. These are either ready-made, or can be formed to your teeth by boiling them to soften the material and then biting down on them to fit them to your teeth. You have to keep your mouth closed if wearing a ready-made guard, which can be difficult for any active sport where you’re breathing heavily. The formable guards have been reported to have a strong odor and feel bulky.

The optimal choice is a custom-made mouthguard in Charlottesville, which will be more effective because it will be comfortable as well as protective. They’re made in a dental lab after Dr. Jack Kayton has taken an impression of your or your child’s teeth. Mouth guards can even be made for patients who wear braces, have dentures or have other special dental needs.

Call our Charlottesville dental office if you or any member of your family participates in athletics. The ounce of prevention in a mouth guard is well worth it!