With 100,000 sport-related concussions occurring in Australia each year, Aussie parents and local athletes are being urged to be 'mouthguard safe' ahead of the 2025 junior and amateur AFL and rugby seasons to give themselves the best chance of avoiding serious head or oral injuries.
The warning comes amidst research suggesting there is one concussion every 5.7 games in youth Rugby League. While separate studies from the Australian Dental Association suggest sports-related injuries account for nearly 40 per cent of dental injuries, yet only 36 per cent of Australians wear a mouthguard when playing contact sport.
Dr Cathryn Madden, Head Dentist at Bupa Dental said a properly fitted mouthguard is a players' best defence against serious sports injuries like broken jaws, fractured teeth and even lacerated tongues which can be involuntarily bitten during an unexpected hit.
"Whilst less expensive over-the-counter boil and bite mouthguards are certainly better than zero protection, they run a significantly higher risk of being dislodged or not protecting all essential areas which increases the risk of sustaining a serious injury for players.
"A custom-made mouthguard will be designed to fit a player's individual mouth shape and dimensions providing a player with the protection they need on game day or training and a parent with valuable peace of mind when watching from the sidelines," Cathryn said.
Bupa Health Insurance members with eligible Extras cover who attend participating Bupa Dental Members First Ultimate clinics will also receive a no-gap experience on standard fitted mouthguards across its national network of practices.
"Once you have your mouthguard sorted, you can focus more on enjoying the game and all the physical and mental benefits that come with being involved in community sport.
"All it takes is a short visit to your friendly local dental clinic to get a scan or impression of your teeth and choose your favourite team colours for the mouthguard before a subsequent visit to ensure the mouthguard fits firmly and comfortably," Cathryn said.
