Gulf Coast Family

by Dr. Gregory A. Zollo

Why Mouthguards Matter

If you have a child who plays sports, you need to assess the risk of injury to his/her mouth.

When children are young, sports such as baseball, soccer and basketball may pose little threat. But as kids get older the risk increases, especially if your child plays on “travel” teams versus “recreational” teams.

Which sport poses the greatest risk for oral injury? You may be surprised to learn that middle and high school children are at the most risk playing basketball. In this age group, basketball produces more oral injuries than, say, football, lacrosse or boxing. Why? Because these 3 sports require mouthguards while basketball does not.

Mouthguards help absorb the force of a blow. Any child who plays a sport that involves a reasonable risk of dental injury should wear a mouthguard. Certainly every child who plays middle school or high school basketball should wear a mouthguard. In the last 2 years I’ve treated a 16 year old boy who had a tooth knocked out playing baseball and a 12 year old girl who had an incisor jammed back into her mouth playing basketball. These kids have been through root canals and reimplantations. The young man, despite his parents and doctors doing everything correctly, is likely to lose this tooth some day. He will face bone grafts, an implant, and crowns. The financial cost will be great. The insurance ramifications are a nightmare. All of this could have been avoided had he been wearing a well made mouthguard.

There are 2 basic types of mouthguards: store bought and custom made. I strongly recommend a custom made mouthguard. Your dentist can make this for you. While the “boil and bite” mouthguards are more common, they offer only a fraction of the protection that a custom made mouthguard provides. Yes, a custom made guard will cost more. It is worth it. (See previous paragraph.) Besides the added protection, the custom made guard is much more comfortable. That means Johnny or Susie will actually wear it,

If your child plays sports that put his/her mouth at risk, invest in a good, custom made mouthguard. As my Mom would say, it’s better to be safe than sorry!

Dental Fun Fact

How much is the Tooth Fairy paying per tooth? Around $2 per tooth, according to recent surveys.

The most valuable tooth belonged to Sir Isaac Newton. In 1816 one of his teeth was sold in London for $3,633.00 or in today’s terms $35,700.00. The tooth was set in a ring.

(Source: Guinness World Records)