Athletics
Mouthguards Dr. Corben provides mouth-guards for the NCAA Division I, Hockey East Merrimack Warriors Hockey Team. Dr. Corben has been associated with Merrimack College's hockey program for several years and has extensive knowledge in protecting the teeth and gums as well as minimizing risk of concussion in contact sports.
Dr. Corben Answers Questions About Mouthguards
"Dr. Corben, why should I wear a mouth guard?"
While mouth guards are not mandatory equipment in all sports, their worth is indisputable. Mouthguards cushion blows to the face and neck. A mouth guard should be part of every athlete's gear, no matter the sport. Even adults or weekend athletes need to protect their smile and preserve their health.
Do: At State of the Art Family Dental Care we feel that you should wear a mouth guard at all times when playing sports. Wear a mouth guard custom-fitted by a dentist, especially if you wear bridges or braces.
Don't: Wear removable appliances like retainers when playing sports.
There are two types of mouth guards:
Custom-made: Designed by Dr. Corben These cause very little interference with speaking or breathing. They provide the best protection and fit over braces and fixed bridges. They also cost more.
Mouthguard Advancements
Standard mouthguards do not provide protection against concussions, injuries to the brain, neck and central nervous system, or jaw fractures and dislocation.
Fortunately, the next step in mouthguard evolution is here!
10 Sports Facts - Mouthguard Protection
Mouthguards help prevent injury to the teeth, mouth, lips, cheeks, gums, tongue and even brain.
A mouthguard helps reduce or prevent the incidence of concussion by acting as a 'shock absorber' to the brain. Any force applied to the lower jaw is transmitted directly to the skull base and brain through the TM (jaw) joint, resulting in possible injuries to the jaw or even concussion.
Mouthguards are required by the National Federation of State High School Associations for football, hockey, field hockey and lacrosse. Many state high school associations and other sport governing bodies require or recommend mouthguards for additional sports including wrestling, soccer, basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) mandated mouthguards for all college football players in 1973. The ruling resulted in a reduction of mouth injuries from over 50% to less than 1% of all football injuries. The widespread use of mouthguards now prevents an estimated 200,000 injuries per year in high school and college football alone.
The California Dental Association Journal estimates that the average athlete faces a one in 10 chance of sustaining a facial or mouth injury during sports. The CDA reported that every year, more than 2 million teeth are knocked out.
The National Youth Sports Foundation for the Prevention of Athletic Injuries reports that tooth injuries are the most common injury to the face or mouth suffered by athletes. An athlete is 60 times more likely to sustain damage to the teeth when not wearing a mouthguard.
More than 40% of the 280,652 baseball injuries studied by the Consumer Product Safety Commission affected the face, mouth or head.
A University of Texas study published in Athletic Training found that the highest dental injury rate occurred in basketball, followed by ice hockey, lacrosse, football, soccer, baseball and volleyball. The study tracked mouth and tooth injuries suffered by 78,000 athletes.
A hockey puck can reach speeds of 50 to 90 miles per hour in recreational play, and up to 120 miles per hour in professional play. The American Journal of Sports Medicine estimates that the maximum impact force of an airborne puck at the highest velocities is about 1,250 pounds.
The American Dental Association has identified 40 sports in which wearing a mouthguard is recommended. They include soccer, volleyball, rugby, baseball, softball, shot put, wrestling, weight lifting, judo, karate, motorcross, racquetball and many others.
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