A specialist in treating sport injuries, Dr Sally McCarthy, has told the Irish Dental Association that the use of mouth guards should be made compulsory for those taking part in contact sports.

It has been calculated that up to 20 per cent of players of contact sports will undergo serious dental trauma during their playing careers.

“Using a mouth guard can help avoid chipped or broken teeth, nerve damage to a tooth or even tooth loss.

“They also limit the extent of injuries to lips, the tongue and the soft tissues of the mouth,” Dr McCarthy told the
IDA’s annual conference.

She said national sporting bodies needed to recognise their role in protecting their members by making mouth guard use compulsory.

Read more: Mouth guard use among children: Has the GAA policy made a difference?

Tags: 2018, Dr Sally McCarthy, GAA, Irish Dental Association, July, mouth guards