Boil and bite mouthguards do more harm than good, says Australian Dental AssociationJim Grey, the coach of the Engadine Dragons U12Bs rugby league team, was "shocked" when his footy team played opposition who didn't wear mouthguards.
"I wouldn't have a child on the football field without one," he said before the season's semifinals in Kogarah.
When his players grinned, their mouths revealed a rainbow of colourful mouthguards. Nearly all had been custom-made by dentists at around $150 to $200 each so they were comfortable to wear and more likely to protect the players in a bingle.
Far from being universal, the policy on mouthguards in junior, amateur and professional sports in NSW is haphazard and inconsistent across leagues, clubs and teams. Some are happy with boil and bite over the counter guards that cost $10 to $30 each, others don't use any, while other teams, like the Dragons, have a mandatory policy and have opted for more expensive versions.Dr Peter Alldritt, the chairman of the Australian Dental Association's oral health committee, is calling on all schools and clubs to introduce a "no mouthguard no play" policy.over-the-counter mouthguards could actually do more harm than good because they can move around in the mouth. Only last week, a young veterinary graduate Christina Johnson suffered severe trauma when she was hit with a hockey stick. Wearing a boil and bite guard, one of her front teeth was knocked out, another was fractured, and Ms Johnson's lips and gums were lacerated. She called the ADA urging it to ban over-the-counter mouthguards. "I though the mouthguard I was wearing for the game was good enough. One girl on my hockey team wears a dentist-fitted mouthguard but the rest of us use the ones you buy in stores. I really want to get the word out about how important it is to use a custom-fitted mouthguard when playing sport."
Dr Alldritt said it was bizarre that there was not a mandatory requirement for professional players of AFL, rugby league or union to wear a mouthguard.
"These people are high-profile role models. If people operating on a professional level are not setting a good example, it does make it a challenge for parents to get their kids to wear a mouthguard."
The ADA will lobby to make wearing a mouthguard mandatory, and as routine as wearing a bike helmet or doing up a seat belt while driving. It will also urge health insurance companies to cover all the cost of a fitted mouthguard. Most currently cover most costs but not all.
Many young teams are taking the initiative.
Rebecca Randazzo, the coach of the Miranda Bombers Auskick team, said she encouraged players to wear a mouthguard, even before they started playing contact AFL, so they could rehearse the skills they would need later.
"Kids with boil and bite ones struggle because they don't fit properly," Ms Randazzo said. "If they get them made, they usually get their own unique colours, they're easier to identify – and they stand out on the grass. And when they fit better, they usually look after them more," she said, acknowledging that many got lost.
Until the end of August, the ADA is offering a $1000 sporting grant to schools and teams that show they are using mouthguards.
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