How to Protect Your Teeth if You Play Contact Sports

Injuries are fairly common in sports, and that is why participants are usually required to wear helmets and mouthguards. At the moment, mouthguards are only common in hockey, lacrosse, field hockey, and American football.

While this is the case, players can easily get dental injuries when they participate in basketball and other contact sports. As a sportsperson, it is essential to protect your teeth in the field.

Dental Insurance

One thing you need to consider is getting dental insurance. With these plans, you will be able to avoid paying hundreds or thousands of dollars in dental care costs. Dental insurance plans are a lot cheaper than general health insurance, and they will allow you to get care whenever you need it.

There are lots of dental health insurance providers in the USA, but a few stand out for their quality of service. These include United Healthcare and Delta Dental.

Mouthguards

In the USA, you have to wear mouthguards when playing football, ice hockey, field hockey, and lacrosse. Still, about 25% of football players in the country do not wear mouthguards, and this exposes them to dental injuries.

As mentioned earlier, basketball has the highest risk of dental injuries, but there are no government mandates for the use of mouthguards in this sport. While there are no official requirements, the American Dental Association recommends that you wear mouthguards when playing these sports:

• Boxing

• Ice hockey

• Martial arts

• Racquetball

• Rugby

• Wrestling

Athletic mouthguards are designed to fit over the upper teeth and protect them from chipping, cracking, and breaking due to impact on your face. With these tools, you will also protect your lips and tongue from injury due to impact.

Some problems you might experience without mouthguards include cracked lips and bitten tongue. If you have had dental work on your lower jaw recently, you should consider getting mouthguards that fit over the lower teeth as well. These mouthguards are also useful to people who wear braces.

It is worth noting that people who don’t use mouthguards are 60 times more likely to suffer teeth damage compared to those who use mouthguards. Still, lots of people only use these tools when the rules demand them. This is usually because they are uncomfortable to wear and may distract the players during the match.

Players also find it difficult to talk when they have mouthguards. While wearing mouthguards can be inconvenient, it is essential to remember that good health is a key part of your overall wellbeing.

For the best results, you have to purchase mouthguards that meet certain qualities. They should be comfortable, resilient, easy to use, easy to clean, and resistant to tear. Also, they should fit properly. While custom-made mouthguards will end up costing you a lot of money, they are worth the price. This is because they will end up saving you a lot of money in dental costs.

Another great option is the boil and bite mouthguard. This type is made from thermoplastic material and is placed in hot water to soften. After that, the user has to wear it so that it is shaped around the teeth. While these are cheaper than custom-made mouthguards, they offer high levels of protection.

Helmets

Players are required to wear helmets when participating in various sports, and this can help to protect their teeth from damage. While helmets are primarily meant to prevent head injuries and brain damage, they can work as shock absorbers whenever you get hit on the face. This way, you will not break your teeth when playing sports.

To maximize the efficiency of these helmets, it is essential to use sturdy helmets. If the helmet is cracked, it will not provide sufficient protection to your teeth.

Conclusion

Contact sports can be fun, and they will also help you stay healthy. To many people, these sports are also a great source of income. While contact sports are essential, they can be dangerous.

To protect your teeth from damage while playing contact sports, it is important to wear mouthguards. You should remember that there are several types of mouthguards on the market. The best option is the custom-made mouthguard, and this is because all specifications will match your needs.

If you don’t have a lot of money to spend on a mouthguard, you can consider going for boil and bite types. You should also consider using helmets to protect your teeth. These helmets shouldn’t have any form of damage as that would make them less effective.

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