Contact sports like hockey increase the risk of injury to your teeth, oral tissues, and the supporting bone.
Preventing dental injuries during sports play is achievable by wearing protective equipment such as a mouthguard -- although mouthguard wear does not prevent 100% of the various injuries that dentists encounter from sports-related injury.
When it comes to treating the injuries synonymous with contact sports, the dentists that specialize in treating athletes strategically plan the restorations based on several factors unique to each players situation.
Sports dentistry is an exciting career that takes a dentist out of the office, and puts him on the sidelines or behind the bench, ready to treat players that have suffered an injury to their teeth, oral tissues, and the surrounding bone.
Mouthguards are worn in order to help prevent injury to the teeth, tissue, and surrounding bone during sports play. The level of protection you will receive and overall comfort level is greatly impacted by the type of mouthguard you ultimately choose to wear. Although mouthguards may be optional, most dental professionals agree that a mouthguard should be mandatory and protects the dentition during sports.
Athletes that participate in contact sports face the reality of sustaining a potentially career ending injury known as a concussion, when involved in a high-impact collision during a game or even a practice. Currently a topic of debate, the role a mouthguard plays in concussion prevention has been reevaluated, leaving coaches and players wondering if wearing a mouthguard is necessary.
Lets face it: Dental injuries are synonymous with contact sports, most notably professional hockey. Considering mouthguards are not mandatory in the National Hockey League, the dentists that treat the players must carefully plan their restorations, at times quite differently than the average person with the same type of dental injury.
