What is sports dentistry?
Sports dentistry is a specialty of sports medicine that focuses on preventing and treating mouth injuries and illnesses induced by sports and exercise. Amateur and young athletes are especially vulnerable to mouth injuries because they may not have enough experience or proper supervision and/or training. Personalized mouthguards have increased in popularity, and their effectiveness in preventing injuries has been shown, but there is still a need to specify the sport, age group, selected material, guard design, and use duration. According to current studies, mouth guards may lose their efficacy over time as a consequence of the use and regular maintenance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Sports Dentistry is important?
As recreational sports become more popular and professional athletes’ demands increase, the need for good oral health is becoming more apparent.According to recent research performed primarily at the UCL Eastman Centre for Oral Health and Performance, it has been found that top athletes have higher rates of oral disease, tooth decay, and gum inflammation than the general population. Many individuals have reported that this interferes with their ability to eat, relax, sleep, and even smile. Since many athletes in a variety of sports are at a higher risk of injury during play, sports dentistry acts as a safeguard against any serious issue.
What are the shielding devices in Sports Dentistry?
The use of basic protective equipment such as properly fitting helmets, facemasks, and/or mouth guards is the most important aspect of preventing sports-related orofacial injuries. Mouthguards should be used whenever there is a possibility of body to body or body to equipment contact. Teeth, lips, gingiva, tongue, and mucosa are all protected by mouth guards. They deflect blows that may cause jaw fractures, dislocations, or injury to the temporomandibular joint. Mouthguards also assist to decrease concussion risk by keeping the mandibular condyle’s head away from the base of the skull.
Common Dental Injuries in sports:
- Tooth Knocked Out
- Tooth Chipped/cracked
What is a mouth guard in sports dentistry?
Mouthguards should be worn by participants in any sport where there is a danger of dental injury such as basketball, soccer, wrestling and so on. They
are available for athletes of all ages, genders, sports and may help in preventing any mouth injuries. Mouthguards are divided into three main
- Stock mouthguard
- Mouth-formed mouth guard
- Custom-made mouthguard