What Is Sports Dentistry?
Athletes are exposed to impacts many times throughout their sporting lives. As a result of an impact, two different effects may occur in the human body: if the force is mild, it may cause heat; if it is severe, it can lead to injuries in soft tissues. When such impacts affect bones and teeth, they may cause displacement and fractures. If the force generated by sports accidents exceeds the body’s physical resistance, trauma occurs. In sports-related accidents, injuries in the maxillofacial region are most commonly dental injuries. Studies have shown that the incidence of dental trauma in team sports ranges between 2% and 33%. The most frequent trauma cases are seen in combat sports, football, basketball, skiing, and sports involving rackets or sticks.
In sports accidents, injuries most commonly occur in the upper jaw and usually affect the upper incisors. In addition, injuries to the dentoalveolar structures, fractures of facial bones, increased intracranial pressure, and serious neck and brain injuries may also be observed. Appliances produced to prevent such accidents during sports activities and to protect individuals from trauma are called mouthguards or protective dental guards.
Mouthguards (protective dental guards / sports mouthguards) protect the teeth against traumatic forces and help prevent injuries to the tongue, lips, and cheeks. They protect the anterior teeth from frontal impacts and the posterior teeth from impacts to the lower jaw, while also reducing the risk of jaw fractures. Moreover, by creating a space between the upper and lower teeth, they help reduce the risk of concussion, injury, and potential fatal outcomes. An ideal mouthguard should adapt easily to the teeth, be thin enough to provide adequate protection, resistant to tearing, odorless and tasteless, and should not interfere with breathing. There are three types of mouthguards:
Standard Mouthguards:
These are ready-made guards available in various sizes, usually made of PVC-based materials. (PVC-based mouthguards have been banned by the European Union.)
Boil-and-Bite Mouthguards:
These are made from thermoplastic materials. Over time, their fit and adaptation may decrease.
Custom-Made Mouthguards:
An impression of the upper jaw is taken by the dentist and then modeled. Based on this model, a soft Essix plate with a thickness of approximately 5 mm is prepared. Mouthguards produced with this method are custom-made and tailored specifically to the individual.