How Can I Protect the Alveolar Bone?
It might surprise you to know that among college athletes, basketball dental injuries topped those suffered by football teams, according to research published in the journal Sports Health.
The conclusion: Football’s mandate to wear mouthguards saves football players’ oral cavities.
Amateur contact sports that involve speed and/or flying objects (including body parts) usually require mouthguards and helmets or faceguards. While other sports encourage other types of injury protection – padding, gloves, shin guards – there’s no mandate for the two protection items proven effective in preventing contact sport dental injuries. And, really, don’t most sports involve some contact?
So, take charge of your and your child’s dental health by investing in mouthguards to wear during sports activities. Your dental professional can create customized mouthguards that fit for optimum protection. And don’t forget helmets for football, baseball, boxing, cycling, hockey, and any sport where there’s a chance of facial or dental injuries.
Alveolar fracture treatment can involve wearing a splint for weeks, getting dental implants, or undergoing surgery (and all of its complications). But you can save yourself the pain, expense, and hassle of these treatments by wearing a mouthguard and helmet to avoid a broken alveolar bone.
Now that you’ve gotten to know an essential bone in your mouth, you can see why it’s important to protect it during various sports activities. And by preventing alveolar fractures, you can continue to reap the benefits of sporting life.