A Galway dentist is calling for greater use of gum shields in school sports following the latest research, which shows that one in four children will suffer dental trauma before the age of 15.

Dr Kevin Gilmore, who is based in the Galway Clinic and is the regional spokesman of the Irish Dental Association (IDA) said that, while the IDA encourage children to participate in sports, they must be protected when doing so.

“Shin-pads and helmets are now widely regarded as essential sports kit and we need to see a well fitted gum shield worn whenever a child is playing sports,” said Dr Gilmore.
 
“Gum shields lessen the chance of serious oral injury and can be particularly important for children who wear braces. We are advising parents to contact their local dentist to discuss how best to ensure their child’s oral health is protected. While having no front teeth may be cute at age seven, it is certainly not the case at 17, or older.”

The IDA has launched a safety campaign, entitled ‘No Gum shield – No Game’ to reduce the instances of oral sports injury among children and to encourage parents to take steps to protect their child’s smile before they return to the school playing fields.

“Many oral injuries have a long-term affect on areas such as speech, appearance and in more serious cases self confidence. Oral injuries can be difficult to treat and often prove problematic in terms of long-term oral maintenance. We advise people not to risk their oral health and encourage anyone taking part in sports to go to their dentist to get advice on how best to protect their oral health and smile,” said Dr Gilmore.

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