Leading Dentist Encourages Sports Players to Wear Mouth Guards
A leading NHS dentist who also works for Dental Trauma UK, a charity that helps those affected by traumatic dental injuries, has called for sports players to wear mouth guards and for the appliances to become much more commonplace at all levels.
Dr Lyndon Meehan works for the NHS in London and Wales and spends much of his time on the touchline at rugby and football games. He understands the impact dental injuries can have on individuals and is becoming increasingly frustrated at the fact that many people who play dangerous sports don’t wear a mouth guard. According to Dr Meehan, who splits his time between Morriston Hospital in Wales and King’s College Hospital, a large number of people are losing teeth and suffering significant injuries that could easily be prevented.
Dr Meehan helps to provide dental care at Welsh rugby union games and he also assists Cardiff City FC. Additionally, he was part of a team of dentists who assisted at the 2012 London Olympics. Sports, especially contact and fighting sports, carry a high risk of injury, yet many people still choose not to wear a mouth guard or to wear one that doesn’t fit properly. A study carried out in Brazil showed that 28 percent of the 1,000 athletes who participated in the survey had suffered dental trauma. 52 percent of people were aware of mouth guards, but only 15 percent used one.
Dental Trauma UK is campaigning to raise awareness of the importance of mouth guards and Dr Meehan is hoping that one day it will be compulsory to wear a guard in order to play. In New Zealand, referees have the right to insist that every player is wearing a gum shield before the game begins and this has contributed to a significant decrease in dental trauma cases in sport. Dr Meehan is hoping for something similar in the UK and is particularly concerned about school level and professional sport.
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