Imagine an intense football game. The players are on the field. The ball is snapped. Everyone runs according to his position. Then, the inevitable happens - two players collide with a force that can be heard from the stands. After a brief moment of breathlessness, the crowd sighs audibly when both players get up on their own, dust themselves off and get ready for another play.


The crowd might not know it, but the players can thank well-fitted mouth protectors for their ability to arise from such a high impact!


Mouth protectors have long been known to protect young and older athletes' teeth, gums and tongues, but, when specially-designed and fitted for the wearer, they can also stop concussions from occurring. This means they effectively minimalize the potential damage to the brain that can be sustained from repeated collisions or falls.


Of course, most coaches and parents already know how important it is for each player to have a mouth protector during a game. But what many don't realize is that the majority of sports injuries to kids [including concussions] occur during practice times. It's not during the game that most children are going to be hurt; it's when they are learning and drilling.


It makes perfect sense, really. If you've ever sat and watched a team practice, it can seem like a comedy of errors. After all, everyone on the field is learning... and learning involves making mistakes. Even slight missteps made by novice players can lead to serious contact with other athletes on the field, in the rink or on the court. That's when a mouth protector comes into play.


Mouth protectors that have been fitted for the athlete's unique bone structure absorb any forces to the mouth that the player sustains. Rather than enabling that energy to travel throughout the skull and brain [which can lead to concussion... or worse], the mouth protectors "steal" the energy and ultimately lessen the result of the blow. Of course, mouth protectors also provide protection for the teeth and surrounding tissues as well.


So why don't coaches and parents demand that mouth protectors be mandatory for each player during every practice? To be fair, some moms, dads and trainers do realize the importance of mouth protectors and do mandate their usage, even going so far as to not allow players into practice without them. However, some other coaches and parents simply do not realize that every practice could be the one that leads to a kid's concussion down the road. It's a matter of lack of education, not of negligence.



If you're a coach or the parent [or guardian] of a child who is involved in a contact sport, it's imperative that you issue a directive for mouth protector usage during all practices and games. Make it a zero tolerance policy and it will stick.


If you or other parents or coaches are unsure where to find mouth protectors that really work [not those that are simply bought off-the-shelf, providing very little assistance during a particularly intense collision], check out BrainPads for a complete list of mouth protector dealers in your area. That way, you'll know that you've given your son, daughter or player more than a modicum of protection.


For more information on mouth protectors, visit BrainPads today.