Experts recommend mouthguards for all athletes

Individuals who lack dental insurance but play sports may want to consider using a mouthguard, as studies conducted by the American Dental Association have shown that wearing mouth protection can significantly decrease the risk of injury.

Most dental wound suffered during the course of athletic competition can be serious and require extensive oral work to help the injury heal. The procedures can be expensive and difficult to pay for without insurance.

However, experts say a simple, inexpensive mouthguard can prevent many injuries. Dr Matthew Messina, an advisor with ADA, said that they are even important for individuals who participate in non-contact sports.

“You don’t have to be on the football field or in a hockey rink to benefit from a properly fitted mouthguard,” Dr. Messina explains. “Findings in sports dentistry show that even in non-contact sports, such as gymnastics, mouthguards will help protect participants.”

In addition to mouthguards, it may also be a good idea for those without insurance to look into discount dental plans. There are many inexpensive options that can help individuals protect their dental health in case of emergencies.

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 13th, 2010 at 12:39 pm and is filed under Oral Health Topics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.