Mouth guards are key to oral injury prevention.
Especially in basketball and baseball.
Even though the summer heat is still very much upon us, fall is right around the corner; and for many, this means football—lots of it! In a recent Chargers’ pre-season game against the Bears, one of the Chargers’ players, Johnny Patrick, was required to leave the game for a jaw injury. While the injury was ultimately reported as minor, this got us thinking about oral health and sports.
Would you be surprised to know that more oral injuries occur in sports like baseball and basketball when compared to ice hockey and football? In fact, according to an article in the Journal of Pediatric Dentistry, oral injuries were reported to be three times more common in basketball compared to football. The reason was clear—mouth guards. Football players have long worn mouth guards and their use is becoming more common in other sports including basketball and to some degree, baseball.
Even with caution exercised, sports present risk; and when oral or facial injury occurs, evaluation and treatment by a recognized specialist is key. From lacerations to knocked-out teeth or jaw fractures, a board certified oral surgeon is your best option. If you have any questions about preventing sports related oral/facial injuries, or have complications from a facial related sports injury, give McGann Facial Design a call and schedule an appointment. And yes, we are ready for some football!
