What's the Best Mouth Guard for Basketball?

Associated Press


After my post lamenting the fact that many NBA players still "don't get it" when it comes to wearing a mouth guard, one of my readers asked a great question - which mouth guard would I recommend?

A while back, I wrote about the most common types of mouth guards out there.
A little while later (and after more than 35 years of playing basketball without one- yeah, I'm old) I decided that I'd have to buy my own mouth guard to avoid being a hypocritical "do as I say, not as I do" advice-giver.

I knew that a simple plastic mouth guard wouldn't work (I'd seen too many people gagging and drooling while wearing one) so I went and bought a Shock Doctor brand "boil and bite" type mouth guard from the local Dick's Sporting Goods store . After following the directions to make a custom fit, I used it for the next month or so. It was OK, but not completly comfortable and sometimes made it hard to call out picks/switches, etc.

Finally, I went to my local dentist and had them make an impression of my bite. They sent this out to a company and a few weeks later, I returned to their office to have my custom-molded mouth guard fit. At first, it felt pretty much like the boil and bite I was using before, but, after they trimmed it a few times, it slipped over my upper teeth, fell easily into place, and hardly felt like it was there. Total cost was around $150.

Needless to say, I've been most happy with my mouth guard, wear it when I play, and have been thankful that I was wearing it on several occasions when an errant(?) elbow hit my mouth.

Now I know that not everybody can afford a custom molded mouth guard from their dentist, and I know that younger players might outgrow several pairs of mouth guards, having to buy new ones every so often. I also know there are other options, like Sportsguard Custom Mouthguards where you make your own mold, send it off to the company, and then get your personalized mouth guard in the mail a few weeks later. It's less expensive ($55-$65), and is an option for those do-it-yourself ballers.

So what's the best option for you? Every dentist will tell you that the only one that works well is the custom-made guard from your dentist's office. While I agree with them, not everyone can afford this. Bottom-line - "The best mouth guard is the one that's worn".

So, while I'd recommend getting a custom-made mouth guard from your dentist, you've got to try the different types out yourself and decide.

The Lakers Have No 'Guards

Mouth guards, that is.

A few weeks ago, a reader wrote " Hi. I've seen a few of your blog posts on the importance of wearing mouthguards. I even got one myself a few months ago. Now, in watching the NBA Finals, I made a point of counting the number of players who were wearing mouthguards. And.. I only counted two: Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis. I didn't see anybody else. What gives?

Knowing that several players wear clear mouth guards that aren't easy to spot, I decided to first find out if this reader's count was true.

After speaking with the Head Athletic Trainers for both the Lakers and the Magic (special thanks to Gary Vitti and Tom Smith for their time), I was disappointed to hear that only 4 players on the Magic (Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis, Adonal Foyle & Tony Battie) wear mouth guards on a regular basis. (I was also impressed by the readers astute observation).

Worse, NONE of the LA Lakers wear mouth guards! (Not even Pau Gasol who has braces on his teeth and is just one elbow away from some severe lip shredding).

I learned that several Lakers (including Kobe) have tried wearing mouth guards but have chosen not to wear them.

So What gives?

If they're like their counterparts in other countries (where research has been done to better understand why professional basketball players choose to not wear mouth guards), it's either because they feel they can't breath, speak, or play as well when their mouthguards in place.

And what about professional football players (who all wear mouthguards), boxers, and other sports where everyone uses mouthguards? They wear them because they are required to and, more importantly, have worn them since they were young (and hence, they've gotten used to the feeling).

To be honest, I'm disappointed that so few players on these two teams wear mouth guards. I wish they had the foresight to protect themselves from some serious harm, but it's a free country and, for now at least, the NBA, NCAAA, NHSAA and AAU don't require it (but maybe they should start - Research has shown that dental injuries in basketball happen 13 times more often than dental injuries in football).

It would be interesting to do some research on NBA players and their use (and feelings about using) mouth guards during practice and games. If there are any aspiring dental researchers out there, send me an e-mail at pdrehab@med.unc.edu

Trojan Teeth

Nice smile.
Hope he keeps it.

In a just-published article in the Journal of the American Dental Association, researchers reported on the incidence of dental injuries in athletes playing for the University of Southern California Trojans from 1996-2005.

Those of you who read the blogs last month about mouthguard use can guess which sport had the highest dental injury rate for both men’s and women’s athletics.

Yep, it was basketball.

During the years this study took place, USC fielded 19 teams in 15 different sports. Compared with football, soccer, baseball and all other sports, men’s and women’s basketball had the highest dental injury rate.

While this study is limited by the small number of athletes followed, it does report two important findings.

We already know the first finding - that there is a higher incidence of dental injuries in basketball for both boys and girls. This has been found in different studies from different countries.
The other interesting finding is related to the effect that mouthguard use might have on basketball athlete’s dental safety.

In 2000, (in the middle of this study) the USC women’s basketball program instituted a team-wide policy requiring all players to wear a mouthguard during practices and games.

When the authors reviewed their data, they found that this policy corresponded to a 2/3 reduction in the incidence rate of dental injuries for the women players.

While the number of players is too small and the study is not set up to prove the point, this would support the theory that wearing mouthguards while playing basketball does reduce your risk of serious dental injury.

Basketball players historically have complained that mouthguards bother them when they play. Some felt (and still feel) that it limits their game, too. But modern-day mouthguards don’t have to be uncomfortable and they may even make some players feel safer and play quicker and more aggressively.

So did wearing mouthguards affect the USC Women’s team performance?
During the first 4 seasons studied (before mouthguards were required) they had a record of 55-58. Their record over the next 6 years was 93-86. Not much difference in the won/loss columns but probably a significant difference in dentist bills.

So what will OJ Mayo do as he starts his Freshman year at USC? If he’s smart, he’ll wear a mouthguard and take care of his bubblegum card smile.

What will YOU do the next time you or your players take the court?

WATCH YOUR MOUTH ! - Part Two

First, WATCH THIS: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Zg6U0sAaDg8

Now that you know how important it is to wear a mouthguard when playing basketball, let's talk about the 3 most common types of mouthguards you can purchase:

Types of Mouthguards

Ready-Made, Stock Mouthguards – these fit loosely over the teeth and the wearer usually needs to keep his/her mouth closed to keep in place. This can interfere with speaking (not to mention breathing) and can limit your effectiveness out on the court. While they are the least expensive, these are considered to be the worst fitting and least protective kind of mouthguard.

Boil and Bite Mouthguards – most commonly found in sporting good stores, these mouthguards are first put in hot water and then placed in the mouth so that it can be shaped to fit your teeth. When shaped correctly, they provide better protection than the stock mouthguards but they may not provide as much shock-resistance as custom made mouthguards.

Custom-made Mouthguards – These Mouthguards are custom-made in your dentist’s office and, when made properly, provide the best fit, comfort, speech and breathing. They also fit better over braces.

How to Know if You've got the Right Mouthguard

The right mouthguards should:

• 
  
  Fit properly and feel comfortable


• 
  
  Be easy to clean


• 
  
  Not make it difficult to speak or breath
  
  
  How to care for your mouthguard
  


• 
  
  Rinse your mouthguard before and after each use.


• 
  
  When not wearing it, keep your mouthguard in a sturdy container that allows air in through holes or vents.


• 
  
  Don’t leave your mouthguard out in the sun or hot water.


• 
  
  Don’t chew or cut pieces off your mouthguard.


• 
  
  Bring your mouthguard with you to your dentist appointments to check that it still fits.


• 
  
  Check it regularly and replace it when it's old (2-5 years), outgrown, or cracking.

For more information about mouthguards, go to

http://www.sportsdentistry.com/mouthguards.html

Watch Your Mouth!

Under the basket, players are pushing and shoving for position to rebound a shot that’s just gone up. The ball hits the rim, bounces out and….. WHAM!!

Someone gets hit in the mouth with an elbow.

The referee blows his whistle and play comes to a stop while the trainer and coach runs out onto the floor to check on the player, hands held over bloody mouth, looking down on the floor for the tooth that’s been knocked out.


According to the American Dental Association an athlete is 60 times more likely to suffer harm to the teeth when not wearing a mouthguard. Since 80% of traumatic dental injuries occur to your top front teeth, mouthguards are important for athletes who don’t want to look like Leon Spinks or Bobbie Clarke. And for those of you who think this only relates to boxers and hockey players, studies have shown that basketball dental injuries are now 13 times higher than football (probably because high school football players have been required to wear mouthguards since the 1960’s).

Mouthguards act as a layer over your top (“maxillary”) teeth to protect them from impacts that might break or crack them and protect your lips and tongue from cuts from your teeth or braces.

How much can wearing a mouthguard help you? A 2002 article found that college basketball players wearing custom mouthguards had only 1/3rd as many mouth injuries as players who did not.

So why don’t more basketball players make like Dee Brown and get their ‘guards’ on?
It’s probably a combination of several factors:

• While most football players consider mouthguards as part of their basic equipment, young basketball players often don’t get introduced to mouthguards until somebody (they or their teammate) gets hurt.
• Most basketball coaches (and leagues) don’t require their players to wear mouthguards and don’t teach their players about them.
• Not many players know that mouthguards will help prevent injuries, and even those who do may not actually wear them. A 2003 study of Australian basketball players found that only 30% of them were aware of mouthguards as protective devices and less than 2% actually wore one.
• Mouthguards that don’t fit well can make it hard to breath and communicate, two important parts of playing basketball.
• Even when they fit well, mouthguards take some getting used to, so the earlier a player starts with a mouthguard, the more likely they’ll feel it’s part of their basketball gear.
  

That said, the evidence points to the need for the youth basketball community, including parents, coaches and league officials, to consider mandating mouthguard use in both boys' and girls' basketball. As the game becomes even more physical, we are likely to see more dental injuries. We know they reduce the risk of injury, now we just have to increase knowledge about them and access to them.

In my next blog entry, I’ll cover the advantages and disadvantages of the 3 most common types of mouthguards and talk about how you can tell when you’re wearing the right kind so that you can show off your moves, and all your pearly whites, on the court.