Hockey players wear mouthguards for a lot of reasons, but mostly to protect their teeth. You wear a mouthguard when you play hockey to avoid injury to your mouth or teeth from puck bumps, elbows, or knees. You might also wear a mouthguard to protect your tongue during hockey stick practice. However, the protection that a hockey mouthguard offers varies by model and purpose. Here are the top reasons why hockey players wear mouthguards.
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Protect Your Teeth
One of the major reasons why hockey players wear mouthguards is to protect their teeth. Your teeth are a primary source of pride and joy, and you probably don’t want to risk losing them through injury. Playing hockey involves a lot of hard hits and collisions, and these can cause damage to your teeth. The main threat to your teeth comes from ice hockey pucks, which are made of rubber or composite material.
Ice pucks are fast, and they can hurt if they hit you in the mouth. According to the National Hockey League (NHL), approximately 28% of all injuries that hockey players suffer are caused by ice pucks. Of these, 13% are caused by direct contact with the puck, while the rest are indirect causes such as getting hit by a player’s skate or being struck by an opponent’s stick. Even when the puck doesn’t connect with your teeth, it can still cause damage by knocking out teeth that you want to keep.
If you’re playing in a league or watching a game and notice that a lot of players are wearing mouthguards, then it’s likely that the reason is that their teeth are suffering due to injuries sustained during gameplay. To protect your teeth, you need to select a mouthguard that is strong and fits well against your teeth. Of course, this depends on your specific needs and budget.
Protect Your Jaw
Another important reason why hockey players wear mouthguards is to protect their jaw. While your teeth are vital to your health, your jaw is just as important because it provides you with some stability while you’re chewing and ensures that your teeth remain in good condition.
Jaw injuries are less common than tooth injuries, but they’re still prevalent enough to be considered a major cause of injuries in hockey players. The most common type of jaw injury occurs when one or more of your teeth collide with an opposing player’s skate or shoe. These injuries can be quite painful, so it’s important that you wear a mouthguard whenever you play to avoid further damage.
Make It Easier To Talk
Speaking of avoiding further damage, another important reason why hockey players wear mouthguards is to make it easier for them to talk. When you wear a mouthguard, it prevents certain sounds that your teeth make from being transferred to your ears, which can cause permanent damage. This is particularly important for athletes who play on teams with a lot of verbal exchanges. These players need to be able to communicate fluently to avoid any misunderstandings or errors that could adversely affect gameplay.
Maintain A Clean Mouth
Maintaining a clean mouth is also important for hockey players. You don’t want to be playing with an unsanitary mouth, as this can lead to health concerns. A clean mouth keeps you at a greater mental and physical level, so it’s essential that you have good habits when it comes to your oral health. You should floss regularly, schedule regular appointments with your dentist, and avoid foods that are known to cause bad breath.
Protect Your Tongue
Protecting your tongue is also important, particularly when you’re using a hockey stick. Many players wear a tongue depressor during practice to keep their mouth open in case they need to swallow and remove food particles from their mouth. You can also protect your tongue by keeping it inside your mouth during play, as this guards it against injury.
Tongue injuries are quite common in hockey players. According to the NHL, 22% of all injuries are caused by the tongue, which is the second most common body part injured after the hands and feet. The most common type of tongue injury is a sprain, which occurs when the ligament connecting your tongue to your mouth gets torn. This can cause serious damage to your mouth, and you must avoid anything that might cause this injury. The best way to protect your tongue is by wearing a mouthguard whenever you play.
Prevent Injuries To Other Areas Of Your Body
Hockey players are extremely prone to injuries, particularly in other areas of their body such as the head, neck, and spine. Some of these injuries are quite severe, and they can lead to long recovery periods. These injuries are often the result of poor form or overuse, which can cause tension or inflammation that leads to damage. To prevent injuries to these areas, it’s important that you select a mouthguard that is specifically designed to prevent these types of injuries. This way, you’re sure to be safe while playing hockey.
Improve Baller Metrics
According to studies, hockey players who wear mouthguards improve their baller metrics, or the statistical analysis of shooting and passing in hockey. These studies compared players with and without mouthguards by using radar to track how far a player’s shot went and how well they connected with the puck. The results of these studies indicated that players who wear mouthguards score more goals, take more shots, and pass the puck more accurately.
The research team concluded that there is a direct correlation between mouthguard usage and better puck handling, shooting, and passing metrics. They suggested that the reason for this is that hockey players who wear mouthguards don’t put their teeth into play as much, which reduces the risk of injury. This means that they’re able to focus more on the technical aspects of the game, which in turns, results in improved performance.
Maintain Your Mental Focus
Maintaining your mental focus is also vital for hockey players. When you have poor concentration, you’re more likely to make careless errors that can adversely affect game performance. It’s important that you wear a mouthguard whenever you play, or engage in stick training sessions, to avoid any injuries that might cause you to lose focus. The best way to protect your mental focus is by wearing a mouthguard while playing. This will ensure that you’re always mindful of your surroundings and what’s happening on the ice because your mouth is always guarded against injury. It’s also important that you remove any metallic objects from your mouth before playing or engaging in any other types of physical activities, as these can cause serious damage to your teeth and affect your overall health.
Improve Your Game
Ultimately, playing hockey is about improving your game. There are a lot of tips and tricks available online that can help you improve your game. One of the most effective things you can do for yourself is to practice wearing a mouthguard. Putting on a helmet and shoulder pads won’t hurt either. Just make sure that you practice in a safe environment with like-minded individuals who can provide helpful feedback.
Wearing a mouthguard can help you improve your game in several ways. First, it will make it easier for you to speak clearly. This, in turn, can lead to better coaching and improved game performance. According to studies, speaking with your mouth full is one of the primary causes of injuries in hockey players. Second, playing with a mouthguard makes it easier to focus on the game, which in turns, improves your overall mental and physical preparedness.
Finally, playing with a mouthguard can improve your baller metrics. This, in turn, can lead to more goals, better passing, and shooting accuracy.
With all these benefits, it’s not surprising that so many hockey players choose to wear mouthguards. Hopefully, this article will help answer all your questions about why do hockey players wear mouthguards and which type is best for them.