Why Do Basketball Players Wear Mouthguards?
Basketball players wear mouthguards to protect their teeth, lips, and gums. The primary purpose of a mouth guard is to prevent and reduce injury near the mouth and it’s commonly used in contact sports like basketball.
Basketball isn’t too physical like football or hockey but there are multiple instances where you take an elbow to the face when your on the court. Wearing a mouth guard is very important in basketball since it can help prevent and reduce the severity of concussions in the event you suffer an injury to the jaw.
I personally have been hit in the jaw a few times playing basketball and a mouth guard would’ve really helped reduce the pain.
Because of the close contact between players and the speed of the game, suffering from a mouth or dental injury is more common in basketball.
Mouthguards can also be used for other purposes other than basketball. They can be used as oral medicine. For example, mouthguards can be used to help with bruxism, which is excessive teeth grinding or jaw clenching.
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When Did Basketball Players Start Wearing Mouthguards?
Basketball players started wearing mouth guards around the 1950s. UCLA basketball player Dick Perry started wearing a mouthguard made by a Los Angeles dentist, Rodney O. Lilyquist and that was believed to be the first introduction of mouth guards in basketball.
Origins of Mouth Guards
The mouth guards in the 1950s were made out of acrylic resin, a new material that was an upgrade over the thick mouthguards that were worn by boxers. The first sport to adopt mouth guards was actually boxing in the 1890s. Woolf Krause, a British dentist, began to make the mouth guards more visually appealing mouthpieces for boxers in 1892. From there, advancements were made until it was introduced in basketball in the 1950s.
What are Mouthguards made of?
Mouth guards are typically made of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and thermoplastic material. New mouth guards today have a stronger thermo-polymer that allows for better protection.
A mouth guard comes manufactured in a pre-formed shape in various sizes and colors. However, it also be specifically made for a person. The person’s teeth is given to specialist manufacturers and they create a best-fit mouth guard. Custom mouth guards are more comfortable than popular mouth guards. Custom mouth guards can be made in various ways.
Three types of custom mouth guards are Pressure Laminated, Vacuum Form, and Impressionless
- Pressure Laminated: A machine is used to to apply pressure and produce a mouth guard that’s multi-layered. This type of mouth guard offers superior fit, comfort and protection.
- Vacuum Form: A machine is used to produce a mouth guard that’s single-layered. It offers more protection than a traditional mouth guard but it doesn’t fit as well as a pressure laminated mouth guard.
- Impressionless: This mouth guard is made from a medical-grade thermo polymer that is specifically to the shape of the mouth in order to create a perfectly custom fit. It can remolded and its great for people with braces.
Are NBA Players Required to Wear Mouthguards?
NBA players are NOT required to wear mouthguards. However, most NBA players wear mouth guards anyways. The most popular NBA players wear mouth guards and that includes players like Steph Curry, Lebron James and Kevin Durant.
Do Basketball Players Really Need to Wear Mouth Guards?
Failure to wear a mouth guard in basketball can result in a chipped tooth, tooth loss, dislocated jaw, and increase the risk of a concussion.
Here’s one example of a Dennis Smith Jr., an NBA player, getting his tooth knocked out.
How Do You Clean a Mouthguard?
You can clean a mouth guard by brushing it with a toothbrush and toothpaste regularly to remove any built up debris, then rinsing it with soapy water. Researchers have found that soaking mouth guards in antimicrobial solutions can reduce the germs and bacteria. via Colgate
Just rinsing it with water is NOT enough. It’s also a good idea to put in a safe place, preferably in a protective case.
Replacing A Mouthguard
It’s normal for a mouthguard to have wear and tear after a certain period of use. When you see wear on a mouth guard, replace it immediately. It’s very important to to replace your mouthguard because bacteria can grow on the worn out parts of the mouth guard and enter your body.
Should You Wear a Mouthguard in Basketball if You Have Braces?
You should definitely wear a mouth guard when your playing basketball even if you have braces. There are mouth guards specifically for people with braces.
A braces mouth guard protects the braces as well as the teeth, gums and jaw. A braces mouth guard differs from a regular mouth guard because it provide extra space than regular mouth guards but still offers good protection.
Steph Curry’s Mouthguard
Steph Curry is the greatest shooter in NBA history and he is responsible for renewed interest with mouth guards. He is known for constantly chewing on his mouth guard, especially when he’s on the free throw line. According to The Wall Street Journal, Curry shoots free throws better when he’s chewing on his mouthguard. Over the past two regular seasons, he made 92% of his free throws when chewing on the mouthguard, compared to 89% when he kept the mouthguard in place. He also increased the amount of time he chewed on his mouthpiece to 85% of his ’15-16 free throw tries–up 21% from ’14-15.
According to ESPN, Steph uses about 12 mouthguards per season, swapping out every 6 to 10 games.
The best moment regarding Steph’s mouth guard was Game 6, 2016 NBA Finals when Steph sent his mouthguard flying in the crowd out of frustration after fouling out. That same mouth guard when on to sell for about $25,000 by SCP Auctions, a California-based auction house.
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