Did Eric Gordon Lose his Tooth? (Mouthguards are essential!)

“It cracked in half,” he said. “I’m going to get it capped. No biggie. I mean, it was painful. I had a little headache, but I was still gonna play.”

This could’ve been avoided!  If only he had been wearing a mouthguard. 

Mouthguards are an essential piece of equipment for anyone, young or old, playing any kind of contact sport.  They act like a shock absorber, both spreading the force over a larger area and increasing the time for the peak force to occur. Dissipating the energy of the blow over a larger area and longer time reduces its effect preventing or vastly reducing any injury. With no mouthguard, a blow to the lower face sends shock waves through the skull. A direct impact can fracture the front teeth. 

A mouthguard can be custom fitted to provide maximum protection.  An over the counter (boil and bite)will work better than no mouthguard, but one custom made by your dentist will fit better, be more comfortable, last longer and can come in a variety of colors. 

In addition to protecting your teeth, a study in the May/June 2014 issue of General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), showed that high school football players wearing over the counter mouthguards were more than twice as likely to suffer mild traumatic brain injures /concussions than those wearing custom made, properly fitted mouthguards.

Perhaps this is why they are increasing in popularity in the NBA where stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki and Stephen Curry use them.

Ask your dentist today if a mouthguard could be used by you or your child in the sport you play.