College Basketball Mouthpiece Rules
The American Dental Association recommends that all participants in sports that "carry a significant risk of injury" should wear mouth protection. These sports basketball, football, hockey, baseball and all other sports that involve some form of physical contact. Despite the ADA's recommendation the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) does not require basketball players to wear mouth protection.
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Voluntary Use
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Basketball players that play with mouth guards do so voluntarily to protect and prevent dental injuries that result from playing the sport. Mouth guards protect players from sustaining injuries to their teeth, gums and other soft tissues that could result from inadvertent blows to face by an elbow, shoulder or hand.
Mandatory Use
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According to the 2008-2009 edition of the NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook, only football, ice hockey and lacrosse participants are required to wear mouth protection. These sports require the most physical contact of all collegiate sports. The risk of oral injury increases dramatically with the amount of physical contact involved in a game, which is why the NCAA requires mouth protection be worn by athletes that participate in these sports.
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Types of Mouth Guards
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There are three kinds of mouth guards available for athletes.
One is the stock mouth guard. These come pre-fitted and ready to wear.
The common boil-and-bite mouth guard is the most commonly used mouth guard among athletes. The rubber guard is softened by boiling it in water and is pressed up against the teeth while it is still soft. Forming a custom fit mouth piece. Follow the directions on the package for specific water temperatures and molding suggestions.
Custom-fit mouth guards must be ordered specially by either a dentist or an oral professional. These usually cost significantly more money than the other types.
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