Protect This Mouth
 Hard-Hitting Facts About Sports Related Dental Injuries
The NC Dental Society, American Dental Association, American Association of Endodontists, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and the Academy of Sports Dentistry strongly recommend the use of mouthguards by ALL athletes, male and female. Mouthguards can prevent or lessen the severity of injuries to the lips, teeth, cheeks and tongue and should be used in both practice and game situations. Athletes are not only at risk in full-contact sports, such as football and ice hockey, but also:
 • Recent studies show soccer players have the highest potential for oral/facial injuries – a risk three times that of football players.
• Wrestlers have a 72.3% chance of suffering oral injures during their season.
• Basketball players face a potential of orofacial injury twice that of football and ice hockey players.
• Approximately 75% of baseball and softball coaches report oral injuries each year.
• Even in volleyball, one study shows there may be a 39% chance of being orally injured.
Most sports-related oral injuries have long-term consequences. These injuries can affect: speech, nutrition, self-confidence, and appearance.
It is estimated that mouthguards prevent about 20,000 oral injuries each year.
Drs. Darab & Richardson are strongly committed to the oral health of all our area student athletes.
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