Why Wear a Mouthpiece?

Blows to the jaw during sports participation can cause serious, costly injuries to the mouth, teeth, jaw, and head. Studies from the National Youth Foundation for Safety show that an athlete involved in a contact sport has a 10% chance each season and a 33% to 55% chance during an athletic career of receiving these types of injuries.

In the 1960s, Dr. Jack Hughston was instrumental in mandating that all high school football players in the United States wear mouthpieces. He and others involved in the care of athletes found that wearing mouthpieces helped prevent injuries, ranging from tooth loss to concussion.

At less than $2, the cost of purchasing and wearing a mouthpiece is low compared with the cost of treating an injury. Replanting a tooth can cost about $5000, and having a concussion carries a potential cost of brain damage (see "Sport-Related Concussions"). Therefore, wearing mouthpieces while participating in contact sports is important. When worn as designed, they offer inexpensive, simple prevention of injuries.

Bruce Getz, ATC
Columbus, Georgia