Protect your Teeth

Sally Perkins explains how to protect your teeth during sports activities.

Regardless of what sport you are into, you have likely had coaches, trainers, and fellow players encourage you to take care of yourself before, during, and after play. That advice is repeated continuously in the sports industry, but unfortunately, it is often ignored. Players get "in the zone" and do not think about stretching properly, taking frequent water breaks, or wearing protective gear. All of these missteps can lead to injury.

Your teeth are no exception to the safety rule. You may not think about them as much as you do other body parts, it takes is one wayward football, hockey puck, or baseball to ruin your smile. The suggestions below will help protect your teeth from unwanted injury while still allowing you to enjoy the game.

Always Wear a Helmet

Whether practising, soloing, or playing a game, you should always wear a helmet appropriately designed for your chosen sport. If you are playing a contact sport, do not skip the helmet, even wearing a mouthguard. Faceguards must be prepared to withstand the impact that could injure your nose, eyes, or teeth.

A Mouth Guard Could Save your Smile

A helmet and mouth guard are necessities for sports such as football, baseball, or hockey, where you are either dodging other bodies or projectiles. However, a mouth guard alone is a good lighter sports to protect your teeth and mouth. Be sure to have your mouthguard custom-fitted to your mouth. Generic devices may not protect as well due to improper fit.

How to Care for a Tooth Injury

If you think you do not need to worry about protecting your teeth while playing a friendly flag football game with your friends, think again. Replacing a lost tooth is over 20 times more expensive than the cost of a custom-fitted mouthguard.

If you happen to sustain an injury to your mouth or teeth, visit a dentist or emergency room immediately. If you lose a tooth but find it intact, rinse it gently in water or milk and gently place it back into the open socket. It is the best way to preserve the tooth until you get to your dentist. Although not as severe, even a chipped tooth warrants a visit to your dentist, so be sure to seek professional advice for any mouth injury.

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

PERKINS, S. (2018) Protect your Teeth [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article384.htm [Accessed

About the Author

Sally Perkins is a professional freelance writer with years' experience across many areas. She moved to freelance from a stressful corporate job and loved the work-life balance it offers her. When not at work, Sally enjoys reading, hiking, spending time with her family, and travelling as much as possible.


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Regardless of what sport you are into, you have likely had coaches, trainers, and fellow players encourage you to take care of yourself before, during, and after play. That advice is repeated continuously in the sports industry, but unfortunately, it is often ignored. Players get "in the zone" and do not think about stretching properly, taking frequent water breaks, or wearing protective gear. All of these missteps can lead to injury. Your teeth are no exception to the safety rule. You may not think about them as much as you do other body parts, it takes is one wayward football, hockey puck, or baseball to ruin your smile. The suggestions below will help protect your teeth from unwanted injury while still allowing you to enjoy the game. Always Wear a Helmet Whether practising, soloing, or playing a game, you should always wear a helmet appropriately designed for your chosen sport. If you are playing a contact sport, do not skip the helmet, even wearing a mouthguard. Faceguards must be prepared to withstand the impact that could injure your nose, eyes, or teeth. A Mouth Guard Could Save your Smile A helmet and mouth guard are necessities for sports such as football, baseball, or hockey, where you are either dodging other bodies or projectiles. However, a mouth guard alone is a good lighter sports to protect your teeth and mouth. Be sure to have your mouthguard custom-fitted to your mouth. Generic devices may not protect as well due to improper fit. How to Care for a Tooth Injury If you think you do not need to worry about protecting your teeth while playing a friendly flag football game with your friends, think again. Replacing a lost tooth is over 20 times more expensive than the cost of a custom-fitted mouthguard. If you happen to sustain an injury to your mouth or teeth, visit a dentist or emergency room immediately. If you lose a tooth but find it intact, rinse it gently in water or milk and gently place it back into the open socket. It is the best way to preserve the tooth until you get to your dentist. Although not as severe, even a chipped tooth warrants a visit to your dentist, so be sure to seek professional advice for any mouth injury. Page Reference If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is: PERKINS, S. (2018) Protect your Teeth [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article384.htm [Accessed About the Author Sally Perkins is a professional freelance writer with years' experience across many areas. She moved to freelance from a stressful corporate job and loved the work-life balance it offers her. When not at work, Sally enjoys reading, hiking, spending time with her family, and travelling as much as possible.