Australian Dentist Urges Sports Players to Wear Good Quality Mouth Guards Following Hockey Incident
Dentists in Australia are urging sports players to invest in dentist-made mouth guards after a young hockey player suffered extensive injuries.
Christina Johnson now requires extensive dental treatment after she lost a tooth and damaged a number of others during a hockey game in Tasmania. Ms Johnson was hit with a hockey stick and now faces a number of procedures to restore her smile. As well as suffering a dislodged tooth, a fractured tooth and several damaged teeth, Ms Johnson also sustained a split lip and damaged gums.
At the time of the incident, Ms Johnson was wearing a gum shield, but it was a cheap, mould-yourself model. Dentists have since reiterated the need to invest in dentist-made mouth guards made from good quality materials. These offer more protection than the cheaper alternatives. Dentist-made mouth guards are also custom-designed, so they fit better in the mouth.
According to the Australian Dental Association, a bespoke mouth guard should cost in the region of $250. This might seem expensive, but investing in a better quality mouth guard is likely to save a huge amount of money in the long-term. Dental treatment for missing and broken tooth may stretch into the thousands and it’s always worth paying more for greater levels of protection.
Dr Peter Alldritt, chairman of ADA’s Oral Health Committee, said that many people are happy to pay a lot of money for protective sports equipment. When it comes to mouth guards however, they go with a cheaper option, even though it won’t provide the same level of protection as a more expensive product. Dr Alldritt warned that over the counter mouth guards are often uncomfortable, don’t offer a lot of protection and can do more harm than good.
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