The risk for dental damage comes with any physical contact sport. These injuries commonly involve the front teeth, along with head concussions, especially in a fighting sport like boxing. Despite the implementation of mouth guard use, the impact of every punch can still cause dental injuries and facial fractures. Getting hit in the jaw or on the face are not the only causes of dental damage in the world of boxing, as falling down hard on the mat could also knock out a boxer’s teeth.
Auradentallondon.co.uk recommends wearing professionally made sports mouth guards to athletes when playing physical contact sports involving moving objects. They warn of the dangers involved in not wearing a mouth guard. Refraining from wearing a mouth guard, in the case of a boxing match, can lead to damaged, dislocated or broken jaws.
Upon Injury
Discovering damaged teeth due to a boxing injury requires immediate dental attention. The coach or medical staff must have a dental emergency kit prepared. It is also as important to assess the injuries such as facial damage as there is potential in it affecting the teeth. In the event of a dental injury, a boxer must not participate any longer before consulting a professional.
The earlier a dentist checks the injury, the better the chance for recovery. Having chipped teeth, removal due to a blow or a fall, is a sign of severe trauma. A boxer must always take precautionary measures in protecting his teeth to avoid potentially lasting injury. Utilising mouth guards is the most effective form of protection.
The Spectacle of Boxing
When injuries occur in a boxing match, it simply means things are going as planned. Hurting your opponent effectively is a sign of brilliance — and this is turning some people away from enjoying the sport. Boxing gloves are not worn to protect a fighter’s face from gashes, wounds or broken bones, but the padding serves to sheath the fist from damage and allows a harder hit, and greater impact. This makes a gloved fist a deadly weapon.
Concussions can cause permanent brain and dental damage, but this exactly is the goal of the sport — to knock your opponent’s brains and teeth out. So boxers must be prepared for such a result.