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Facts from
the National Youth Sports Foundation for Safety
- Dental injuries are the most common type of orofacial injury
sustained during participation in sports; the majority of these
dental injuries are preventable.
- An athlete is 60 times more likely to sustain damage to the
teeth when not wearing a protective mouthguard.
- The cost of a fractured tooth is many times greater than
the cost of a dentist diagnosed and designed professionally made
mouthguard.
- Every athlete involved in contact sport has about a 10% chance
per season of an orofacial injury, or a 33-56% chance during
an athletic career.
- The cost to replant a tooth and the follow-up dental treatment
is about $5000.
- Victims of knocked out teeth who do not have a tooth properly
preserved or replanted may face lifetime dental costs of $15,000-$20,000/tooth,
hours in the dental chair, and the possible development of other
dental problems such as periodontal disease.
- It is estimated that faceguards and mouthguards prevent approximately
200,000 injuries each year in high school and college football.
- The stock mouthguard which is bought at sports stores without
any individual fitting, provide only a low level of protection,
if any. If the wearer is rendered unconscious, there is a risk
the mouthguard may lodge in the throat potentially causing an
airway obstruction.
Facts from
the American Dental Association and the California Dental Association
- A properly fitted mouthguard reduces the chances of sustaining
a concussion from a blow to the jaw.
- Mouthguards should be worn at all times during competition;
in practice as well as in games.
- Contact your local dental society and association for information
on dentists and mouthguard programs in your area.
- The American Dental Association recommends wearing custom
mouthguards for the following sports: acrobats, basketball, boxing,
field Hockey, football, gymnastics, handball, ice hockey, lacrosse,
martial arts, racquetball, roller hockey, rugby, shot putting,
skateboarding, skiing, skydiving, soccer, squash, surfing, volleyball,
water polo, weightlifting, wrestling.
E-Mail: rpaddds@ucla.edu
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