The current Rugby World Cup has got a generation of young players excited about playing the great game, but it has also shed light on how important it is to protect them. The British Dental Health Foundation has issued a recommendation that all school-age rugby players should wear mouthguards on the playing field, after a survey revealed that a third of children don’t protect their teeth while playing rugby.

According to Rugby Football Union rules, it is compulsory that all players aged 18+ wear mouth protection, and here at Bristol dentist practice CK Dental we agree with the Dental Health Foundation that children should do the same, to avoid cracking or even losing teeth on the rugby pitch.

Performance mouthwear

At CK Dental in Bristol, we stock the Under Armour range of mouthguards, which have been designed to protect teeth during the most physical of sports. They are custom fitted to ensure your teeth receive the protection they need, and the latest range is microwaveable and remouldable, so that your mouthguard fits perfectly, everyday.

Learn from others

In New Zealand, since it became compulsory for rugby players of all ages to wear mouthguards on the pitch, the nation has seen a 43% reduction in all dental injuries, which just shows the sort of negative impact contact sports like rugby can have on teeth.

Let the professionals be their role model

One complaint that Bristol dentist Cornelius Krause of CK Dental hears a lot from parents is that they don’t believe their child will agree to wear a mouthguard.

If she or he is a big enough rubgy fan, however, this shouldn’t pose an issue – just as they love to wear the same rugby shirt as their favourite player, just show them that player’s mouth and they will see that he too wears a mouthguard every time he plays.

Until this advice is made law, it is up to parents to ensure that their children’s teeth are protected on the rugby pitch. For more advice on this, which could help you avoid expensive dental treatment in future, please contact us to make an appointment.