Wantagh Dental Arts - Mouth Guards

Mouth Guards

WHY CUSTOM FABRICATED SPORTS MOUTHGUARDS?

According to the America Dental Association, more than 200,000 oral injuries are prevented annually in this country by sports mouthguards. While this is an impressive preventative figure, it is unfortunately estimated by the National Youth Sports Foundation that more than 5 million teeth will be knocked out in sporting activities this year. These oral traumas will happen to children, high school and college level athletes. In fact, dental injuries are the most common type of orofacial injury sustained during participation in sports.

The benefit of sports mouthguard protection has been well documented. In 1995 Dr. Raymond Flander's study on the high incidence of oral injuries showed that in football, where mouthguards are mandatory, only .07% of all injuries involved teeth and the oral cavity. Conversely, in basketball where mouthguards are not worn, 34% of all injuries to players involved teeth and/or the oral cavity! Obviously dental injuries could also be significantly reduced if children, teenagers and adults involved in the following sports wore custom fabricated mouthguards: soccer, volleyball, baseball, softball, rollerblading, skateboarding, martial arts, boxing, hockey, kickboxing and mountain biking.

THE COST OF SPORTS RELATED ORAL INJURIES
According to Dr. Ray Padilla, an active member in the Academy for Sports Dentistry, the lifetime dental rehabilitation costs can approach several thousand dollars per tooth (or teeth) in a sporting injury. This does not include the associated costs of hours in the dental office and the possible development of secondary problems such as periodontal disease. The total rehabilitation costs for a single knocked-out tooth are more than 20 times the preventative cost for a custom laminated, professional grade mouthguard.

THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED!
This serious trauma was caused by an elbow blow. It could have been avoided if the basketball player had been wearing a PLAYSAFE mouthguard.

PLAYSAFE - THE LEADING CUSTOM FABRICATED SPORTS MOUTHGUARD WORLDWIDE Invented in 1982, PLAYSAFE has become the top choice in custom fabricated mouthguards for athletes in Europe, Australia and the United States. In 1985 PLAYSAFE mouthguards were tested and recommended for endorsement by the Australian Institute of Sport. Additionally in late 1994 Professor Robert Burford in the Department of Polymer Science at the University of New South Wales in Australia, found the breaking stress of the PLAYSAFE mouthguard was a 9.5 Mpa (Megapascals), which exceeded the value of all other custom mouthguards tested!

Wantagh Dental Arts, PC is among a select group of trained professionals that offers PLAYSAFE mouthguards. Ask them which version of the PLAYSAFE mouthguard would be best for you.

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