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.
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.
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.
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 categories:
The greatest protection against dental damage has been proven to be custom-made mouth guards fitted by a dentist, which are now available. Despite some evidence to the contrary, the majority of research has indicated that using a mouth guard is the most effective way of preventing such injuries, and dental care providers should promote its availability actively. A custom-made mouthguard, especially one with pressure lamination, is also obvious as the greatest protection. Mouthguards should be used as a preventive strategy for dental and orofacial injuries, as well as to reduce the occurrence and severity of mild traumatic brain injury.
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