Gumshield campaign to save children's teeth

Dentists today launched a campaign to make children wear gumshields when playing sports at school.

The Irish Dental Association (IDA) believe the move would reduce the number of youngsters breaking teeth on the playing fields.

It said a quarter of all children will suffer a “dental trauma” before they reach 15 years – many of them down to sports accidents.

“While having no front teeth may be cute at age seven, it is certainly not the case at 17 or older,” said the IDA’s Dr Edward Cotter.

“Gumshields lessen the chance of serious oral injury and can be particularly important for children who wear braces.

“We are advising parents to contact their local dentist to discuss how best to ensure their child’s oral health is protected.”

The campaign – ’No Gumshield No Game’ – aims to see gumshields lumped in with shin pads and helmets as essential sports kit.

It is timed to coincide with the return to school after the summer holidays when dentists traditionally see a rise in the number of children turning up at surgeries with broken teeth.

“Many oral injuries have long term effects on areas such as speech, appearance and in more serious cases self confidence,” warned Dr Cotter.

“Oral injuries can be difficult to treat and often prove problematic in terms of long-term oral maintenance.

“We advise people not to risk their oral health and encourage anyone taking part in sports to go to their dentist to get advice on how best to protect their oral health and smile.”

The IDA believes children in Northern Ireland are more likely to wear gumshields during sports, which have resulted in fewer cases of broken teeth compared to schoolchildren in the Republic.

It is warning that the risk of oral injury does not only apply to the likes of rugby, Gaelic games or hockey, but is also prevalent in sports with less physical contact like basketball, cricket and volleyball.

“Even during non-contact sports there may be instances of accidental contact with another player or sports equipment, falling, or receiving a blow to the mouth or face,” Dr Cotter said.

“Such injury can easily result in the dislocation or fracture of teeth. A well fitted gumshield can reduce the severity of injuries to lips, teeth, cheeks and the tongue.

He added: “As always prevention is better than cure; in the case of oral injury a simple step such as getting a well fitted gumshield from your dentist will help protect against expensive and uncomfortable injury.”