BDHF Urges Children to Wear Mouth Guards in Run-Up to Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup kicks off in just a few days and the UK’s leading dental charity has taken the opportunity to remind people about the importance of wearing a mouth guard.
The BDHF has urged children and adults to wear protective mouth guards when playing contact sports such as rugby. With England’s first game just days away, this is a timely reminder about the benefits of wearing a gum shield.
The BDHF conducted research that found that only a third of schoolchildren wear a gum shield when playing rugby at school. This is despite the fact that rugby carries a high risk of dental injury.
Dr Nigel Carter OBE, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, says that it is a great honour to have the Rugby World Cup in England and the launch of the competition provides the perfect opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of taking suitable health and safety precautions when enjoying a kickabout with friends or playing a competitive match.
Dr Carter urged children to follow in the footsteps of their rugby heroes and wear a mouth guard when they play the sport. Every single professional player that takes to a pitch over the coming weeks will be wearing a mouth guard and hopefully this will inspire the younger generation.
The BDHF is currently calling for mouth guards to be compulsory at school level. Currently, they are obligatory for anyone playing above school level, but the charity believes that younger children should also be encouraged to wear them. Dentist-made mouth guards, which offer quality as well as a comfortable fit, usually cost in the region of £50. Mouth guards help to prevent injuries such as chips and fractures as well as avulsion (knocked out teeth), jaw fractures and facial injuries.
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