Can athletic mouth guards actually prevent concussions?
A concussion is a brain injury resulting from trauma to the head. Anyone playing contact sports has the potential to sustain an injury that will result in a concussion. Sometimes these concussions are severe enough to end their sporting career.
The number of sports related concussions every year seems to soar as sports become more and more competitive. The University Of Pittsburgh Department Of Neurological Surgery states that every year in our country alone, there are at least 300,000 reported sports related concussions. They also say that the likelihood of suffering a concussion from a contact sport is an estimated 19% each year of play.
Concussion Prevention
After many studies, evidence suggests that athletic mouth guards do not prevent contact sports related concussions. However, these studies also show that athletic guards aid in the reduction of concussions.
The Post-Concussion Symptom Scale is a used to evaluate the severity of concussions. Using this scale, physicians find that athletes who did not wear an athletic mouth guard experienced symptoms significantly worse than athletes who did wear an athletic mouth guard.
Importance of Athletic Mouth Guards
Properly fitted athletic mouth guards should be considered an essential piece of athletic equipment for kids and adults involved in any contact sport. These mouth guards protect teeth and surrounding gingival tissue. Additionally, a professionally fabricated mouth guard can help absorb some of the force sustained from a hit to the head. This is something “boil and bite” guards just don’t provide. Also, with the added thickness, a custom fabricated mouth guard will not interfere with normal breathing or speaking.
We are able to take accurate impressions here in our office either by appointment or while you or your child is here during a visit. In doing so, we customize the athletic guard to the mouth. The fit, protection, and comfort will be highly superior to an over the counter guard. The custom fabricated athletic mouth guards we provide are similar to the ones pictured below. Colors do vary.
Please call Adams and Cheek Dentistry with any questions regarding athletic mouth guards or to schedule an appointment today! You may reach us at (919)866-1360 or click here to request an appointment through our website!
