Kids playing rugby must wear mouthguards, warns charity

The Rugby World Cup is just around the corner, a detail obvious here at Smile-on News as staff members from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales have been eagerly talking up their nation’s chances for some time now.

Ahead of the kick-off on Friday, the British Dental Health Foundation has issued a timely reminder that the expected upsurge in participation, especially among children, could lead to serious dental health issues. They are urging everyone taking up the sport to make sure they wear a mouthguard as this is an essential piece of safety in what is a very rough sport.

Chief Executive of the BDHF, Dr Nigel Carter, commented: “The Rugby World Cup is a fantastic occasion for Britain and also a fantastic arena for us to spread our safety message. When you see your team run out on that pitch, every single one of them will be wearing a mouthguard, they would think it crazy not to.

“Mouthguards for children, therefore, should not be optional; they should be one of the first things in the kit bag. Rugby by its very nature is very physical and accidents happen, sporting injuries are a leading cause of adults losing teeth. Wearing a mouthguard is a simple and cheap way of ensuring kids safety.

“RFU regulations ensure mouthguards are compulsory for all players involved in rugby activities above school level, so they have acknowledged and highlighted their importance. If players over school age have to wear mouthguards then there really is no excuse for school children not to wear them.”

The cost of a good, effective mouthguard is usually around £40-50, but this certainly outweighs the potential cost that a catastrophic injury could have on our oral health. And according to Dr Carter, we must take the lead of other countries in ensuring all participants wear mouthguard (continue reading…)

Source: Kids playing rugby must wear mouthguards, warns charity