Sports safety

Do you play football, basketball, soccer, tennis or volleyball? Do you like to ride your bike or skateboard? Maybe you do gymnastics or play in a softball league.

Regardless of what sports you participate in, there’s always risk of injury. Safety gear like a properly fitted mouthguard can help prevent broken teeth and injuries to the lips, tongue, face or jaw.

Mouthguards can be purchased at almost any sporting goods store, but a custom-fitted mouthguard from a dentist offers superior fit and protection because it closely adapts to your teeth. It will stay in place and makes it easy for you to talk and breath.

Dental injuries are among the most common sports-related injuries. Victims whose teeth are knocked out and don’t have them properly preserved or replanted may eventually pay thousands of dollars per tooth, spend hours in the dentist's chair and possibly develop other dental problems such as periodontal disease.

The American Dental Association estimates mouthguards prevent approximately 200,000 injuries each year in high school and collegiate football alone.

If you do find yourself in a dental emergency, follow these steps.

Back to basics

The WDA reminds individuals not to neglect their oral health during these challenging economic times.

Good daily oral hygiene, preventive therapies like fluoride and sealants, regular exams by a dentist and early restorative treatment are all critical to controlling dental disease. Adhering to basic oral health care practices can reduce the need for advanced restorative procedures in people of all ages, thus saving money and time in the dental chair.

Oral health is important to overall physical well-being.

Economic distress impacts consumers' preventive oral health care decisions. Basic, preventive oral health care is easy and affordable when compared to the cost in pain, time and conditions such as diabetes. MORE>>