Do Mouthguards Prevent Concussions?
Surely you’ve heard about these so-called mouthguards and how they are worn in various contact sports. Its main goal is to provide protection to the jaw, teeth and the entire mouth. So far, this item has proven itself to be effective. If you want the best of these, this clinic sells mouth guards in Australia. But one question has been raised regarding these items – do mouthguards prevent concussions?
Mouthguards are initially made for the prevention of facial and oral trauma. Nowadays, a lot of researchers are trying to find out if mouthguards do prevent concussions. Let’s try to know more.
It has actually been considered a theory – that these mouthguards can prevent concussion or traumatic brain injury. According to researchers, mouth guards absorb some forces from the impact to the face, hence, reducing the concussion’s severity. The force transferred to the skull’s base is reduced.
If the mouth guard is properly worn, the mandible or jaw bone is pulled forward, creating a gap between the skull and the jaw bone. Therefore, the strong blow to the head, going through the mandible will have difficulty radiating through the skull because of the space created by the device.
Although the abovementioned theory has a point, based on studies, there have been no studies which provide concrete evidence that these devices do prevent incidents of concussion. But it doesn’t mean that it’s not true at all. Perhaps it only needs more time to reach to a conclusion. In fact, researches hypothesized that this may actually be proven only if the mouth guard is custom fitted and not readymade which can be bought on the nearest sports store.
But if mouthguards can’t prevent concussions, why are they still recommended to be worn by athletes and sports players?
Though the theory that it can prevent concussion is still yet to be proven, it has been noted that it can decrease the hard impact on the jaw and towards the skull. Mouthguards focus on the prevention of trauma both on the teeth and face.
Can you imagine what would happen if you get a strong blow without wearing this device? You could suffer broken teeth, which can also injure your gums or lips. A customized mouthguard designed for your oral cavity maximizes the protection to your jaw and temporomandibular joint.
Since it hasn’t been proven that mouthguards do prevent concussions, what are the alternatives especially to those who love to play contact sports? Fortunately, there are ways or devices which do have been proven to reduce the incident of concussions.
First, wearing a properly fitted helmet is a great idea, especially if you love playing sports like ice hockey, cycling, snowboarding, boxing and football. Secondly, it is highly recommended practice doing neck strengthening exercises.
Finally and probably the most important, is to attend training about proper concussion management. Coaches and even parents are encouraged to also learn about these techniques so they can teach it to their kids while they’re still young. Take note that an individual who knows how to protect himself can reduce the incidents of concussion and other life-threatening incidents.
