Thanks to a recent issue of JADA (Journal of American Dental Association, September 2014), mouthguards are used to reduce risk of dental injuries while playing contact sports, such as basketball, football and lacrosse. They act as a shock absorber from forces transmitted to the teeth and supporting tissues. Most mouthguards are made from ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), which should be between 3-4 mm thick to adequately protect the teeth, primarily the upper arch. The total thickness of the EVA material is most important in dissipating energy from force during contact through the mouthguard. Studies show that most traumatic dental injuries occur during childhood and adolescence, within a persons first 10 years of life. Dental injuries decrease after a person reaches the age of 24, due to the acceptance of wearing mouthguards, at least for playing on team and contact sports. Since children are playing contact sports at a much earlier age now, mouthguards should remain mandatory to reduce accidental dental injuries. (jada.ada.org)
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 16:11:21 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015