Fitted mouthguards being encouraged for footy season

FOOTBALLERS of all codes are being urged to get a fitted mouthguard for the coming season to give themselves the best chance of avoiding serious head or oral injuries.

The warning comes amid research suggesting there is one concussion every 5.7 games in youth rugby league.

Separate studies from the Australian Dental Association suggest sports-related injuries account for nearly 40 per cent of dental injuries, yet only 36 per cent of Australians wear a mouthguard when playing contact sport.

It is also estimated there are 100,000 sport-related concussions occurring in Australia each year, according to Sports Medicine Australia.

Head dentist at Bupa Dental Dr Cathryn Madden said a properly-fitted mouthguard was a player’s best defence against serious sports injuries such as broken jaws, fractured teeth and even lacerated tongues, which can be involuntarily bitten during an unexpected hit.

“While less expensive over-the-counter boil and bite mouthguards are certainly better than zero protection, they run a significantly higher risk of being dislodged or not protecting all essential areas, which increases the risk of sustaining a serious injury for players,” she said.

“A custom-made mouthguard will be designed to fit a player’s individual mouth shape and dimensions providing a player with the protection they need on game day or training and a parent with valuable peace of mind when watching from the sidelines.

“All it takes is a short visit to your friendly local dental clinic to get a scan or impression of your teeth and choose your favourite team colours for the mouthguard before a subsequent visit to ensure the mouthguard fits firmly and comfortably.”