As a dentist in Tigard, Oregon, I have always recommended wearing a mouth guard for all sports, but recently I have been worried about baseball and softball players. Let me state the obvious, baseball and softball use a hard ball that moves fast and unpredictably. A baseball or softball player could easily be hit in face or mouth from a pitch, line drive or a ground ball. You might think that your reactions can help get you out of the way,  but sometimes there is nothing you can do. This is why I think wearing a mouth guard for baseball or softball is very important.

I recently saw dental trauma to a baseball player who took a line drive to the face. Now I can’t say with 100% certainty that all his injuries would have been prevented by wearing a mouth guard, but I can guarantee that the dental trauma would have been far less. WARNING these images are a little graphic.

A simple mouth guard that is worn properly like the one pictured below will help protect the teeth and can prevent fracturing of teeth from a blunt force such as a baseball.

If you a baseball fan like me, you probably saw this fight over the weekend between the Blue Jay’s Jose Bautista and Texas Ranger’s Rougned Odor. Now I do not condone violence in any form especially in sports, but I couldn’t help think that Jose Bautista needed to be wearing a mouth guard at the time. He is lucky that no serious damage occured to his jaw or teeth.

If you or someone you know is involved in contact sports, baseball, football, soccer, etc. You should make sure to protect your teeth and smile with a mouth guard. Tigard TenderCare Dental makes custom fitting mouth guards that are comfortable and protective. All that is needed are some simple impressions (models) of your teeth. Give us a call today at 503-670-7088 or visit us at http://www.tigardfamilydentist.com/