Mouth Protectors

Mouth protectors (also called mouthguards) are an important piece of protective face gear. You may have seen them used in contact sports, particularly in football. Since 1962 high school and college-level foot- ball players have been required to wear faceguards and mouth protectors during practice sessions and in competition. No other sport has so strongly enforced such a rule. Today new findings in the fields of sports- medicine and dentistry make clear the need for and benefits of protective face equipment even in those sports not traditionally considered contact sports. Many experts recommend that mouth protectors be worn during any recreational sport that might injure the mouth area including such activities as surfing basketball, skateboarding, gymnastics, racquet sports, and field hockey.

WHY WEAR A MOUTH PROTECTOR?

As the name implies mouth protectors help prevent injury to the mouth area, especially to the teeth, lips, cheeks, and tongue. They also protect against head and neck injuries by cushioning blows that might other wise cause concussions or lead to jaw fractures.

Many studies have proved the effectiveness of mouth protectors. Before faceguards or mouth protectors were worn, one study of college football players revealed, for instance that half of all injuries occurred in or about the mouth. Moreover each player was given a one in ten chance of receiving a mouth injury during a playing season. When faceguards and mouth protectors are worn, approximately 200,000 injuries are prevented each year in high school and college football alone The wearing of faceguards and mouth protectors thus virtually eliminates injuries in and about the mouth. Imagine what that could mean for those involved in other sports if this protective gear were worn!

WHO SHOULD USE A MOUTH PROTECTOR?

Anyone engaging in vigorous sports activities that could harm the facial region should wear a mouth protector. While mouth protectors are most commonly used in contact sports, few national organizations' rules make them mandatory in sports other than boxing, football, and ice hockey. This is why it is important that individual athletes understand the need for protective face equipment and take responsibility for using it.

Because the rules governing women's sports have not kept pace with women's increasing involvement in those sports, women in particular must take care to guard themselves against head and mouth injuries. For example, few athletic rules for women require that mouth protectors be worn, not even in contact sports. Moreover many women athletes are not aware that they need mouth protection, even though female athletes experience injuries similar to those which male athletes receive in similar sports.

The voluntary wearing of mouth protectors is not enough, however. Each year thousands of preventable injuries and even permanent disfigurement occur because mouth protectors are not worn. Coaches can help protect their players by requiring that team members wear face and mouthguards during practice and game play. They should also seek out the services of a dentist who would act as a counterpart to the team physician and ensure that players are properly examined and fitted with mouthguards. Finally, school administrators, athletic directors, coaches, and trainers can work toward making the wearing of mouth protectors mandatory in a wider variety of potentially dangerous sports.

Sports Requiring Mouth Protection

If you participate in any of the following sports activities, you should wear a mouthguard. Each of these sports has the potential to seriously harm the head, face, or mouth as a result of head-to-head contact, hazardous falls, tooth clenching, or flying pieces of equipment. A single, well-constructed mouth protector can be used for any of these sports, thus making it a very versatile and quite inexpensive piece of equipment, especially in comparison with most other sports gear.

Acrobatics , Basketball, Boxing, Discus Throwing, Field Hockey, Football, Gymnastics, Handball, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Martial Arts, Racquetball, Rugby, Shotputting, Skateboarding, Skiing, Skydiving, Soccer, Squash, Surfing, Volleyball, Water Polo, Weightlifting, Wrestling

CHOOSING A MOUTH PROTECTOR

Three types of mouth protectors are available (1) the ready-made or stock mouth protector, (2) the mouth formed protector, and (3) the custom made protector Although all three types provide protection, they differ in comfort, fit, and cost.

No matter which type of mouthguard is chosen, however, it is preferred that only the upper teeth be covered, for the following reasons:

(1) the upper teeth usually overlap
and therefore protect the lower teeth,

(2) the front teeth are the most frequently injured, and

(3) covering the lower teeth may create additional bulk, diminishing comfort and fit while providing little extra protection

Some special circumstances, such as a protruding jaw or the presence of orthodontic appliances (braces, for example) may require that the lower teeth be covered too. Your dentist will be able to determine if such a condition might apply to you.

The most effective mouthguards combine several features. They should be resilient, light (thin enough for easy breathing), tear-resistant and comfortable. They should also be properly fitted (mouth-formed and custom-made protectors for instance are shaped to closely fit a players own teeth) And they should be durable, easy to clean, and not difficult to speak with . A strap is an optional item that can be fastened to almost any type of mouth protector. The strap allows the mouthguard to be removed or suspended from other face gear when the athlete is not in practice or in play. The strap also guards against loss. Its disadvantages are potential injury to the face, jaw, or mouth if the strap is yanked, and added cost to the overall price of the mouthguard.

 

The Stock Mouth Protector

he ready-made, or stock, mouth protector is the most easily obtained and the least expensive It is also the least satisfactory You can find this type of mouthguard at most sporting goods and department stores. It comes in several shapes and commonly is constructed of rubber or a polyvinyl material.

However, because little can be done to adjust the fit of a stock mouth protector, it is often bulky and uncomfortable, it can interfere with breathing and speaking, and the jaws must be closed to hold it in place.

The Mouth-Formed Protector

This type of mouthguard is best fitted by a dentist, who usually shapes a plasticized acrylic gel or thermoplastic material to conform to the contours of the athlete's teeth There are two types. The first type is called a shell-liner mouth-formed protector, because the acrylic gel is poured into a pre-made firm outer shell and forms a lining. Although secure and well-fitted, this type has several disadvantages: oral fluids may cause the liner to become hard, and this type of mouthguard is more complicated to make for athletes who wear braces.

The second type is a thermoplastic mouth-formed protector. This type is the most easily formed since it is usually softened by immersing in hot water. It is then shaped in the mouth to the teeth by using finger tongue, and sometimes biting pressure. If professionally fitted, it can be worn with orthodontic appliances (braces). Often it can be refitted if it becomes loose.

The Custom-Made Protector

The custom-made mouth protector is the most satisfactory of the three types, for if properly made, it best provides all the qualities found in an ideal mouth protector. It is best constructed over a cast (model) made from a dentists impression of the athlete's teeth. This mouthguard is then made by fabricating a resilient material over the model (Figure 5). Although custom-made protectors are a bit more expensive than other types of mouth protectors, the exceptionally good fit, comfort, and overall quality that result make them well worthwhile. In addition the custom- made protector is easily retained in the mouth and does not interfere with speech or breathing.

 

CARING FOR YOUR MOUTH PROTECTOR

Like any other sports gear, mouth protectors can wear out, become lost, or deteriorate over time. There are several precautions you can take, however to make your mouthguard last a long time.

Before inserting the mouth protector for the first time each day, you can increase its comfort by rinsing the protector with cold water or with a mouthrinse.

After each use, rinse the mouth protector under cold tap water. Occasionally it can be cleaned in cool soapy water and then rinsed thoroughly, or a mouthguard disinfectant can be applied to it. The mouthguard should be placed in a firm, perforated container during storage or transport to permit air circulation and to avoid damaging it.

Check the condition of the mouth protector from time to time to see if it needs replacement. Tears, perforations, and loose linings can irritate the teeth and mouth tissues; these conditions also diminish the amount of protection the mouthguard can provide on the playing field. Players who have infected teeth or mouth tissues should not wear a mouth protector until their oral condition has been treated and their health improves. All players should be sure to visit the dentist before each playing season to have their oral health checked and any problems corrected.

 

CAUTIONS AND REMINDERS

•You should not wear removable appliances, such as an orthodontic retainer, removable bridge or complete or partial dentures when participating in contact sports.


• If you wear fixed dental appliances such as orthodontic 'braces" or bridgework, you should wear a mouthguard that has been individually fitted by a dentist.


• If you have a protruding jaw receding chin, or cleft palate, you also should wear an individually fitted mouthguard.


•Even if you have few or no natural teeth remaining, you should wear a mouth protector to cushion blows.


• A mouth protector should be worn at all times, in practice as well as during games.

For many years the American Dental Association has worked toward improving and protecting the athlete's oral health. Dentists encourage the use of custom-made mouth protectors to achieve this goal but they would be happy to fit you with other types of mouthguards as well. This one relatively inexpensive and easily obtained piece of sports equipment can go a long way in preventing serious injury to the head and mouth. For this reason no person engaged in vigorous sports activities should be without a mouth protector.

W HAT IS A MORA?


MORA is an acronym for the words "mandibular orthopedic repositioning appliance." It is often mistaken for a mouth protector but it does not perform the same function. A MORA is a device used by some dentists to treat conditions thought to result from misalignment of the jaw, such as headaches, TM (temporomandibular) disorders, scoliosis (curvature of the spine), and loss of balance.

Much controversy exists over whether a MORA can improve athletic performance by building strength and endurance. However, such claims regarding its usefulness as an athletic aid have not been scientifically proven. In fact, there is evidence that continued use of a MORA may result in severe malocclusion requiring extensive orthodontic treatment or even reconstructive treatment.

A MORA should never be worn in place of a mouth protector. It does not meet any standard rule established for the wearing of mouth protectors, and it can be a hazard if worn in some sports because the appliance itself usually has a connecting metal bar and clasps. In short, a MORA does not offer the desired protection that only a mouthguard can.