Football is arguably one of the roughest contact sports on the planet.
Football players wear protective padding and helmets to protect their bodies against the blows that a football player receives during a game.
Football players go through a lot of effort to protect their bodies, is it vital that they take similar caution when choosing the correct protective gear for their mouths and teeth.
Imagine the damage that a knee or elbow can do to your teeth in the heat of the battle, let’s take a closer look at why all football players should wear a mouthguard.
Mouthguards reduce the risk of dental injuries
Mouthguards only began to gain traction amongst football players in the late 1940’s, research indicates that up until the 1950’s that more than 50% of football injuries involved dental injuries. Since then mouthguards have become widely accepted, current research shows that dental injuries among football players account for less than 3% of total injuries. It is easy to see that mouthguards make a huge difference in terms of injury prevention.
Prevent a costly trip to the dentist
Majority of people will agree that going to the dentist is one of their least favorite things to do, not only is it uncomfortable and painful, it normally also makes a dent in your finances unless you carry expensive dental insurance. Chances are that if you require a dental visit due to a football injury that it won’t be just to fill a cavity. A chipped or broken tooth can be painful and expensive to replace, instead of having to go through all of that pain and effort rather invest in a good quality mouthguard.
A good mouthguard will protect more than just your teeth
Protection for your teeth is very important when playing a physical contact sport such as football, but a mouthguard will protect more than just your teeth.
A big hit to your helmet can easily result in a injury to your mouth. A mouthguard acts as a barrier between your teeth and the soft tissue in your mouth, this barrier ensures that your teeth won’t end up causing painful cuts in your mouth after a traumatic blow to the head. In addition, a good mouthguard will also protect your jawbone from hard blows.
Protect your dental applications
Dental applications such as braces are very common among high school kids. If you are a parent with a high school child that wears braces and plays football then a good mouthguard is a must. Not only will a mouthguard protect the braces or other dental application, but it will also prevent dental injuries as a result of the braces.
Research shows just how important mouthguards are if you are serious about reducing the risk of dental injuries, especially when playing a rough contact sport such as football. Football players of all ages at all levels should wear a good well fitting mouthguard to limit the risk of dental injuries and the complications that go hand in hand with it.
