Importance of Mouth Guards in Sports

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Ten to twenty percent of all sports-related injuries are facial or oral. That’s why wearing the proper protection is vital. A mouth guard is one example.

KVRR spoke with a West Fargo man who coaches three contact sports and has dealt with those injuries.

Pucks traveling at high speeds and hockey sticks moving in every direction. It’s the perfect recipe for a facial injury.

“Even the most seemingly simple dental injuries can be quite difficult and can have lasting effects,” says Essentia Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon Ryan Smart.

Pat Johnson is not only the West Fargo High School girl’s hockey coach. He also coaches 9th grade football and girls’ softball. They’re all sports that can lead to severe facial injuries.

“Number one to help protect the teeth. I know with all of the expenses that some of these girls have put into their mouths with braces and everything it’s important we don’t lose any there,” says Pat Johnson.

And doctors agree.

“That force would be less likely to be concentrated in one area and would therefore be less likely to result in a catastrophic injury,” says Smart.

Hockey season is just around the corner and there are several options for getting a mouth guard.

“There’s a custom mouth guard which could be made by a dentist or a dental laboratory. Then there’s another type of mouth guard that is available at most sporting goods stores and that’s the so-called boil and fit,” Smart says.

Despite preventing a trip to the dentist, for multi-faceted coach Johnson, mouth guards aren’t just a way to protect teeth.

“Anything that might and could help prevent concussions is something you want to do. Even if scientifically some people say it doesn’t help, some do, it doesn’t matter. If there’s a chance that it’s going to help we need to do it,” Johnson says.

Although mouth guards are not required in every sport, doctors advise athletes to wear them in any sport with an increased risk of injury.

For more information, head to www.essentiahealth.org.