How Likely Are You to Get A Dental Injury While Playing Sports?
On October 17, 2015, the Newcastle Jets goalkeeper Mark Birighitti shattered his teeth while playing the match. He received Shane Smeltz’s (Sydney FC’s striker) foot straight on his face as he was diving low to stop a ball. His teeth came out with stream of blood. He was rushed to the hospital for treatment. This was one of the most recent incidents of a dental mishap on an international level. Such incidents are not uncommon in the sports domain.
According to a research report, approximately 5 million teeth are lost every year in the US alone due to sports related injuries. As a result, more than $500 million is spent every year on the tooth replacement procedures in the US.
The two major factors on which your likelihood of receiving dental injuries are:
- The kind of sport (full contact sport, limited contact sport or no contact sport)
- The quality of facial and dental protection (mouthguards, helmets)
If a player is playing without any mouth protection, the chances of getting dental injuries are high.
Full Contact Sports
Full contact sports like American football, MMA, rugby, kickboxing or lacrosse should be played under proper and strict supervision and with safeguarding measures.
Limited Contact Sports
Limited contact sports like basketball, soccer, and polo are less dangerous. However, they are also a big cause of dental injuries. So they should be played with some protective gears.
Injury Prevention with Mouthguards
It is a known fact that mouthguards reduce dental injuries. The overall rate of orofacial injuries gets 1.6 to 1.9 times higher in the absence of a mouthguard. It is required by the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) in various sports such as field hockey and ice hockey. It has been recommended as a dental protection for 30 activities by the ADA (American Dental Association) and International Academy of Sports Dentistry.
We can conclude that dental injuries are an obvious risk for any athlete which is why they should use good protection such as mouthguards to avoid any mishaps.
If you or your children play any sports and you need any information or consultation on dental injuries, you can contact Stellar Dental, a well-reputed dental clinic based in Maryland. We provide the best quality customized mouthguards. For more information, visit us.
Stellar Dental is a leading dental service provider based in Maryland with offices at White Oak and Hyattsville. We strive to provide the best dental care solutions and a state-of-the-art facility to our patients. Our major services include – dental implants, Invisalign, braces, 6 Month Smiles and other general dentistry procedures. We have a team of warm, friendly and compassionate dental professionals.
