Dental Care for Sports People

Most dental casualties involve playground equipment, bikes, roller-blades, skateboards and trampolines.

At most risk

• Boys suffer twice as many dental injuries as girls.
• More prone to injury are kids with prominent teeth, protruding jaws and lips not covering the teeth.
• Kids at Christmas and birthdays when they get sports gear and gifts.
  

Avoiding dental injury

• Ensure kids wear custom-made mouthguards for sport and training.
• Supervise kids learning to ride skateboards, bikes, etc.
• Ensure you know what to do if a tooth is knocked out.
  

Mouthguards

All persons who are engaged in sporting activities where injury to natural teeth is a possibility can minimise the risk by wearing a mouthguard which should be professionally constructed and fitted.

• A mouthguard made by your dentist can lessen the risk of sports injury by up to 90%.
• A basic custom-made mouthguard is economical 'insurance' against costly, painful, stressful and maybe long-term injury.
• Mouthguards are comfortable, minimally affect breathing and speech - so you'll wear it - and not in your pocket!
• Mouthguards are custom-made to your mouth, so your dentist can add thickness where needed for extra protection.
• It's much more likely to stay in place on impact.

Source: Australian Dental Association Inc Brochure