|
|
|
|
Monday, September 1, 2008
Watch Your Mouth
Central Arkansas, AR
|
|
|
Helmet — check, pom-poms — check, mouthpiece — ugh? All across Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley, student athletes are gearing up for fall sports as they pick up equipment and uniforms. One item that is often overlooked is the mouthpiece, and this season football won’t be the only sport where it will see plenty of playing time.
“It’s critical to wear a sport mouth guard in all sports,” said Dr. Jason M. Landers DDS, MS. “Actually in football we see less (mouth) injuries because the sport requires that athletes wear a mouth guard, but we see the majority of our injuries in basketball, baseball and cheerleading.”
The purpose of a mouthpiece is to protect not only the teeth themselves but more importantly the bones around them. And with the popularity of high school sports in our area, Roblee Orthodontic Associates in Fayetteville are keeping busy this time of year.
“Every day, that’s an important part because some of these injuries can be so catastrophic to the teeth that it’s something that can’t even be treated with normal therapy,” said Dr. Richard D. Roblee DDS, MS. “In some of the more severe cases you not only lose the teeth but part of the bone, and then we’re working for years just trying to rebuild the bone for implants.”
Roblee Orthodontic Associates today treat not only local athletes but several former Razorback basketball players who have been finished playing sports for over 20 years and are still having problems because of a lifelong mouth injury sustained while playing without a mouthpiece.
The problem that orthodontists face is that it’s not “cool” to wear a mouthpiece in sports like soccer, basketball and baseball where related injuries are most prevalent. But orthodontists like Dr. Landers are trying to build up morale for using a mouthpiece by educating on the importance of wearing one.
“It’s nice to see professional athletes like Lebron James and others wearing mouth guards, and we want to offer custom guards so that local athletes can serve as examples to the younger athlete,” said Dr. Roblee.
The traditional guard is known as the “boil and bite,” but there are also custom-made mouth guards that Dr. Roblee and his partner recommend. Custom guards are made from an exact replica of the teeth for superior protection while giving the athlete the opportunity to communicate without the piece loosely moving around in the mouth. They do require a visit to the athlete’s family dentist or orthodontist for a dental impression. Roblee Orthodontic Associates offers custom colors for custom mouth guards so that even the mouth is full of team pride.
With no-huddle becoming a key in offenses around the area this season and communication being a key aspect to success in not only football but every sport, custom-made mouth guards are a great asset to any team and are completely economical.
“If you think about the thousands of dollars it costs to repair these severe traumatic injuries, it’s an investment worth taking,” said Dr. Landers.
|
|
| No comments added! Click [ add a comment ] to be the first! |
|
|
|
|
|
Grill - Mike Lee
Michael Lee played college baseball and coached junior high football and varsity baseball before he worked as a Major League...
More 
Archives
|
|
 ™
|
|
Watch Your Mouth
by: Will Flowers
Helmet — check, pom-poms — check, mouthpiece — ugh? All across Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley, student athletes are gearing up for fall sports...
More
|
Archives
|
|
|
 ™
|
|
A collection of this month's best action photos.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Solid Red
by: Gary Smith
At a time when high school athletes jump in and out of recruiting process more frequently than Paris Hilton changes...
More
Archives
|
|
|
|
|
Lucky Break
by: Nate Olson
Dan Hampton endured 12 knee operations during his 12-year Hall of Fame career with the Chicago Bears. Hampton’s resiliency at...
More
Archives
|
|
|
|
|
A Pioneering Bond
by: Daniel Stave
There is a special bond between the defensive coordinator and quarterback at Gentry High, and it’s not because Pioneers’ offensive...
More
Archives
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
™
