Injury Prevention
“The damage caused by a ball, knee or elbow to the face can be devastating for a child – often resulting in serious injury and a lifetime of oral health issues. In fact, sports-related injuries are the leading cause of emergency room visits in 12- to 17-year-olds according to the Centers for Disease Control.” – American Association of Orthodontists
- Precise adaptation
- Negligible deformation when worn for a period of time. The combination of the relatively high heat and pressure used in the construction of the laminated mouth guard means that the mouth guard material has virtually no elastic memory.
- The ability to thicken any area as required as well as place any inserts that may be needed for additional wear protection.
”Greater emphasis should be placed on the thickness in the posterior occlusal areas, especially in those high-contact sports requiring the use of mouthguards. Education of all those involved is the key. Team physicians, dentists, athletic trainers, and coaches must take into consideration both the athlete’s previous medical history and the sport. Our emphasis must be on improving the quality of mouthguards for player safety as one way of attempting to reduce the incidence of concussion in athletes.” - Jackson E. Winters, DDS.
Full Articles Below: Topic-Concussions
Commentary: Role of Properly Fitted Mouthguards in Prevention of Sport-Related ConcussionJackson E. Winters, SrAuthor information ► Copyright and License information ►This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.
For many years, some experts have speculated that if athletes wear mouthguards in contact sports, many sport-related cerebral concussions might be prevented. The key reference for this position was a 1964 article in the Journal of the American Dental Association by Stenger et al. Many other positions on the subject were established, most significantly by Hickey et al in 1967 and by Chapman in 1985 and 1990.
Although no controlled experimental study has confirmed or refuted the idea that a properly fitted mouthguard reduces the likelihood of sustaining a concussive injury, evidence is mounting that the device could play a significant role in this critical area of player safety. As sports and our culture evolve, the techniques of playing and coaching the activities improve. Today, there are more participants, both men and women, in recreational and organized sports. Players are bigger, stronger, and faster than their predecessors.
The desire to win at all levels of competition, the number of college scholarships available, and the money professional athletes are making have created an environment more conducive for athletic injuries. With the new awareness and media attention being paid to such injuries, sport-related concussion is surfacing as a major concern.In addition to education, we can make the playing of sports safer for participants by changing the rules of the game and by improving or changing the equipment. It is to the improvement of the equipment that this paper is directed.
My perspective comes from two unique positions. As a pediatric dentist over the years, I have used many different types of mouthguards with my patients. As a college football referee in the Mid-American Conference for 18 years, I have on-field observations of the types and quality of the mandatory mouthguards the players have been wearing. The four types of guards most commonly used are (1) stock over the counter, not mouth formed, (2) boil and bite, well worn, mouth formed, (3) cut-off, no posterior tooth coverage, and (4) custom fabricated over a model of the upper dental arch.
Through my involvement with the Academy for Sports Dentistry, I have discussed concussion prevention with many colleagues, including Dr John Stenger, and I have been able to establish the type of custom mouthguards constructed for the Notre Dame athletes in the 1964 study. Over the past several football seasons, I have been directly involved with a series of ongoing studies investigating the role that properly fitted, pressure-laminated mouthguards can play in reducing concussive forces applied to the brain.
The methods used in our studies follow the Academy for Sports Dentistry position statement for properly fitted mouthguards. The materials used were polyvinyl acetate copolymer (Dreve-Dentamid, Unna, Germany). Impressions were taken of the players’ upper dental arches, and the protectors were fabricated over the models. The materials were formed with heat and pressure using a Drufomat machine (Westone Labs, Inc, Colorado Springs, CO). The posterior thickness varied from 3 to 4 millimeters in thickness after the final fitting (Figure (Figure11).
Extremely comfortable yet thick enough to protectMouthguard materials by nature must have shock absorption qualities. They must be resilient and yet soft enough to absorb impact energy and reduce transmitted forces. The thickness of mouthguard material is directly related to energy absorption and inversely related to transmitted forces when impacted. However, wearer comfort is also an important factor in their use.
If a mouthguard is not comfortable the player sometimes has the tendency to cut or manipulate the material or not wear it at all. We are aware of that risk and that is why comfort is absolutely essential when fabricating your guard.
“Properly Fitted Mouthguards Should Be Standard Equipment.” – Academy for Sports Dentistry
‘Custom mouthguards are considered to be the best type because of a far superior fit compared to stock and boil and bit mouthguards. However, they are also the most expensive type of mouthguard for this reason. Custom mouthguards are usually made by dentists who take the impression of the athlete’s teeth, and then make a stone model of the teeth. The thermoplastic material is then formed on to the model, and the excess is trimmed away.
Because of the individuality and care that goes into making this mouthguard, it has the best fit, and therefore interferes the least with speech and breathing, Custom mouthguards have been shown to be superior when it comes to fit and preference, but which type is best when it comes to preventing concussions? One theory as to why custom mouthguards are better comes back to their superior fit.
Research has shown that a properly fitting (custom) mouthguard creates a space between the head of the condyle of the mandible and the base of the skull (Winters, 2001). It is thought that this space acts to dissipate forces that would be transferred up to the brain, and therefore reduce injury (Winters, 2001). Poorly fitting mouthguards lack this space and have more articulation at this joint (Winters, 2001). This is thought to increase the transmission of force up to the brain and therefore cause greater injury.”
For more info click on this link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC162236/
Articles (Cont,) Topic- Concussions
Soccer Expert Mia Hamm Teaches Lesson in Sport Safety, Emphasizes the Importance of Protecting Kids’ Smiles
Hamm and the American Association of Orthodontists Team Up to Protect Smiles and Promote Free Orthodontic Consultation Offer
ST. LOUIS, April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Hall of Fame soccer star and mother of two,Mia Hamm is teaming up with the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) to spread the word that when it comes to protecting your child’s smile on and off the playing field, expertise matters. Hamm joins the organization’s “Play It Safe” campaign to promote mouth guard use among junior athletes to avoid injuries to the face, mouth and jaw that can occur during practice and game play of contact sports such as football, basketball, soccer, hockey, and lacrosse. She also is helping to spread the word about a new Free Consultation coupon offer that is now available through the AAO.
The damage caused by a ball, knee or elbow to the face can be devastating for a child – often resulting in serious injury and a lifetime of oral health issues. In fact, sports-related injuries are the leading cause of emergency room visits in 12- to 17-year-olds according to the Centers for Disease Control. That’s why the experts at the AAO are turning to experts like Hamm to help make “Play It Safe” a mantra of youth sports.”An orthodontist’s goal is to help our patients achieve a healthy, beautiful smile. As an orthodontist, I see too many kids with sports injuries to the mouth that could have been prevented,” said Lee W. Graber, D.D.S., M.S., M.S., Ph.D., president of the AAO. “Together with Mia, we are encouraging parents, coaches and young athletes to set a goal of protecting those smiles.
“According to the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), children are at risk on the playing field while many coaches and parents stand by on sidelines. In a recent survey, the AAO discovered that 76 percent of parents said their biggest fear is that their child will get hurt while playing organized sports, yet only 33 percent reported that their children wear mouth guards during organized sports including football, basketball, soccer and lacrosse.”Sports offer a great outlet for kids to learn, grow and dream,” said Mia Hamm.
“Together with the AAO, I want to help teach kids and parents that some obstacles to success, like preventable injuries, can be avoided by wearing the right gear every time.”As part of the AAO’s “Play It Safe” sport safety campaign, Hamm will highlight the importance of kids’ sport safety in April. Hamm will visit Woodrow Wilson Middle School inGlendale, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles, to meet with students, discuss the importance of facial protection and distribute mouth guards.Additionally, Hamm is starring in a new sport safety themed poster and Web site for the AAO designed to educate parents and coaches about the importance of sport safety and facial protection.
Parents, kids and coaches can visit the American Association of Orthodontists’ website at www.braces.org/miahamm for sport safety tips or to download a poster of the soccer legend. The Importance of ExpertiseThe AAO also is currently offering a Free Consultation coupon to help consumers take the first step to achieving a healthy, beautiful smile by meeting with an expert, an orthodontist, at no cost.”When it comes to playing soccer, years of training and practice elevated Mia Hamm from an athlete to an expert and a superstar,” said Dr. Graber. “And when it comes to getting a healthy, beautiful smile, the two-to-three additional years of education beyond dental school plus a career long focus on orthodontic continuing education is what makes an orthodontist an expert in aligning teeth.
“Through the end of May, consumers who are interested in meeting with an orthodontist for a free initial consultation for themselves or their child can visit the AAO’s Web site at braces.org to download a Free Consultation coupon and find orthodontists near them. During the consultation, a participating orthodontist will help determine the best possible course of treatment needed to achieve a healthy, beautiful smile.”Reaching your full potential requires hard work and help from others,” said Hamm. “The guidance of experts helps pave the way to success both on and off the field.”More about Mouth Guards and Sport SafetyMouth guards are one of the least expensive pieces of protective equipment available.
Over-the-counter versions may cost as little as five dollars, although custom-fit mouth guards offer greater protection. Not only do mouth guards save teeth, they may protect jaws. An orthodontist can recommend the best mouth guard for an athlete who wears braces.Consistent use of other protective equipment is important, too. Mandated for many organized sports, helmets save lives and prevent head injuries. Face guards, devices made of plastic or metal that attach to baseball helmets, also help to prevent facial injuries. To help parents and coaches, the AAO has four quick tips for keeping kids safe during sport activities:
- Wear a mouth guard during contact sports
- Wear a helmet
- Wear protective eyewear
- Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin
“All coaches should make mouth guards a part of their team’s uniform,” said Dr. Graber. “Mouth guards are affordable and necessary to help prevent injury. An orthodontist can recommend the best mouth guard for an athlete who wears braces or other orthodontic appliances.”
In addition to a downloadable poster of Mia Hamm and the AAO’s Free Consultation coupon, additional information and sport safety tips can be found on the American Association of Orthodontist’s Web site at www.braces.org. To locate an orthodontist near you, visit “Find an Orthodontist” at www.braces.org, or ask your dentist for a referral.About the American Association of OrthodontistsThe AAO comprises 16,500 members in the United States, Canada and abroad. Founded in 1900, the AAO supports research and education leading to quality patient care and promotes increased public awareness of the need for and benefits of orthodontic treatment.
Orthodontists are uniquely qualified to correct improperly aligned teeth and jaws. They receive an additional two to three years of specialized education beyond dental school to learn the proper way to align and straighten teeth. Only those with this formal education may call themselves “orthodontists,” and only orthodontists are eligible for membership in the AAO.
Resources: https://www.aaomembers.org/index.cfm?
Sentinel Mouth Guards
5314 San Miguel St
Milton, Florida 32583
(850) 910-3388
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