Be on your guard
After Team GB hockey star Kate Walsh suffered a serious facial injury during the Olympics, a leading oral health charity believes it serves as a timely reminder for those requiring mouthguards to get fitted up.
Mouthguards are an essential piece of kit when it comes to playing sports that involve physical contact. The British Dental Health Foundation is advising parents whose children play contact sports to get their child fitted with a mouthguard to help protect against unwanted accidents.
It is estimated 40 per cent of all mouth injuries can be related to sports. Minor dental injuries can include a chip or crack in the tooth. Athletes can also lose teeth and suffer damage as the result of biting the tongue or the cheek. Biting the inside of the mouth can also lead to cuts that may require stitches. Fractures of the upper and lower jaw, cheekbones, eye sockets or any combination can have more serious consequences.
Karen Coates, dental helpline advisor at the Foundation, said: “While mouthguards may not protect against concussion or have any impact on its severity, they can reduce further oral health complications.
“If your child plays football, rugby, cricket, hockey or rounders, or any contact sport then they will need a mouthguard.
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