Sportsguards: Not just for football players Published Sept. 20, 2011 By Tech. Sgt. Kristin Hays 66th Medical Squadron, Dental Hygienist HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- When people think of wearing mouthguards or sportsguards for athletics, they usually think of football and boxing. However, sportsguards should be used for almost every sport. Basketball has one of the highest rates of facial and oral injuries among all sports. This was brought to light last year by President Barack Obama who had to get 12 stitches in his lip the day after Thanksgiving as the result of a pickup game of basketball. Most people wear some form of protective equipment when playing sports: safety glasses, elbow pads, shin guards and helmets, to name a few. However, teeth are also susceptible to "athletic injuries." According to the American Dental Association, more than 5 million teeth are knocked out each year, many during sports activities, and more than 450,000 emergency room visits each year are due to sports related injuries to the mouth and face, called orofacial injuries. These include lacerations to the lips, cheeks, tongue, gums, fractures of the teeth (crown, root or both), fracture of the bone directly supporting the teeth, displaced teeth (intrusion or extrusion), complete loss of the tooth (avulsion), complete jaw fracture and tempormandibular joint (TMJ) problems. More than $500 million are spent each year just on replacing lost teeth due to trauma from sports. A mouthguard is an important factor in the prevention of all these injuries. It is estimated by the American Dental Association that mouthguards prevent 200,000 dental injuries each year in high school and collegiate football alone. However, most injuries occur at the middle school and junior high levels, as well as with "weekend warrior" and amateur athletes. Custom-fit mouth guards are available to all active duty military members. Call the dental clinic at 781-377-3396 for more information. For family members of active duty members enrolled in the Tricare Dental Program, United Concordia, mouthguards are a covered benefit. Contact the dental benefits advisor at 1-800-866-8499 for more information. Some organized sports such as football and boxing require players to wear mouth guards. The American Dental Association recommends wearing a mouth guard for all of the following activities: Acrobatics Basketball Boxing Discus throw Field hockey Football Gymnastics Handball Ice hockey Martial arts Lacrosse Racquetball Rugby Shot putting Skate boarding Skiing Skydiving Soccer Squash Surfing Volleyball Water polo Weight lifting Wrestling Types of mouthguards available: Mouthguard: Stock - purchased from sporting goods store Description: Pre-formed Pros: Inexpensive Cons: Does not fit well, interferes with speech and breathing Mouthguard: Boil and Bite Description: Mouth-formed Immersed in hot water and then adapted to teeth Pros: Most popular Cons: Must follow directions carefully, possibility of poor fit. Mouthguard: Custom-fit Description: Made by dentist Pros: Fits exactly to athlete's teeth, ease of speech, comfort and retention, provides the best protection Cons: Requires multiple visits to the dentist