What Youth Sports Have The Most Mouth Injuries?
Are Mouth Injuries Serious?
What Kinds Of Mouth Guards Are There?
What Kinds Of Injuries Do Mouth Guards Prevent?
In What Sports Should My Child Wear A Mouth Guard?

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You bet they are. Injuries to the mouth and jaw - broken, cracked and lost teeth, jaw and joint fractures - are painful and hard to treat:

• Jaw and joint injuries often require surgery and general anesthesia, which requires hospitalization and wiring the jaw shut for 30 days to let the injury heal.

• A lost tooth must be re-implanted or false teeth made and fitted. Although easier to treat than a broken or fractured jaw, lost teeth are just as painful.

• Emergency Treatment of Athletic Dental Injuries

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A mouth guard is a piece of soft plastic shaped to fit inside the mouth, protecting the lips, cheeks, tongue and teeth and the jaw when they are hit by large object - like a ball, or someone's elbow or head.

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There are 3 main types of mouth guards:

1. Stock. The least expensive, stock type mouth guards cost about $2.00 and come in three sizes – small, medium and large. You get what you pay for in terms of fit. Some users complain that they are too wide in the back, making it hard to breath or talk.

2. Boil and Bite. A semi-custom fit can be made using a "boil and bite" model mouth guard. Hot water is used to soften the plastic and your child then bites into the guard, molding it to his or her teeth. This type of mouth guard sells for between $5 and $15 and offers very good protection.

3. Custom. A dentist makes the best fitting mouth guards in a dental office. Not surprisingly, this kind of mouth guard is the most expensive of the three, costing between $35 and $65. Custom mouth guards are the best option if your child plays a number of sports each year or plays sports with continuous activity, like basketball or soccer.

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Mouth guards help prevent injury to the mouth, teeth, lips, cheeks and tongue. They also cushion blows that might cause concussions or jaw fractures. Even though a mouth protector is worn, it is still possible for a tooth to be knocked out; however, the wearing of a protector will reduce tooth injuries to a minimum.

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The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends a sports mouth guard for all youth competition, regardless of age. The American Dental Association recommends mouth guards for the following sports:

Some athletic associations are getting the message. In the fall of 1999, for instance, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, the governing body in the state for high school athletics, made mouth guards mandatory for junior varsity and varsity soccer players for the first time. Mouth guards may soon become mandatory in other sports as well.

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Article updated and reviewed August 1, 2007

 Concussions: What To Look For

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