Sports dentistry deals with the correct diagnosis, prevention and treatment of sports related orofacial injuries and related oral diseases, as well as the collection and assessment of information on dental athletic injuries and the encouragement of research for prevention of such injuries which involves orthodontic correction of protruding anterior teeth and using facemasks and mouth guards while taking part in sports. Several functions and types of mouth guards have been explained in this article. Different studies have provided enough evidence that the use of specific mouth guard headgear or helmets reduces the risk of facial trauma. Currently there is a very limited data regarding sports dentistry in India. There is no dental institute in India that have course on Sports Dentistry. The Sports Authority of India does not have any policy on Sports Dentistry. Dentists should educate the general public, parents/guardians, staffs of emergency department, coaches and athletes regarding health risks and benefits of mouth guards including the importance of emergency care for orofacial injuries.
Key words: Mouth guard, Dentistry, Orofacial injuries
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