Mouth Guard for Baseball

[new2thesport]

Skipper 5 mentioned this in another thread (hit in the forehead):

(a) insist that your son wear a mouth-guard to protect his teeth from injury

How many of you or your kids wear a mouth guard in baseball?
Is it common? I personally havent seen it in little league.

I think it is a good idea but have never heard of it before. I can only think of positive things about a mouth guard and nothing negative about using it in baseball. Anyone have experience with this? Thanks

[skipper5]

I've never seen a youth player with a mouthguard.

My own son has a mouthful of braces that I can't afford but I don't make him wear one (my bad).

Don't sell them on the basis of safety. That's wussification. Sell them on the basis of Money--that's macho. Teeth cost money.

Having a mouthguard hanging from your mouth between pitches could look macho.

[ralanprod]

After my son got braces last year his Orthodontist recommended he wear a mouthguard when playing. My wife pointed out just how much we were paying for those braces, so it was hard to argue against the mouth guard.

As it was my son spent 95% of the season behind the plate, so it never saw much use. He didn't have an issue with wearing it though. I found one in his team colors, so it had that "cool look".

It's not a bad idea really, especially on a small field.

[AgentX]

I would never tell a player not to wear one, but I'd feel bad for the player whose parents makes him wear one.

Any time I've ever seen a player come to the plate with a mask on his helmet or one of those helmet extensions that is supposed to cover their jaws, I've heard players in the dugout making fun of him. They're kids. It's what they do.

All players want the respect of their peers, but even a player with talent will lose that respect if he looks like a chicken. Although I think it makes sense, I wouldn't make my own kids do it.

[korp]

I've seen people use them and obviously basketball players are using them more and more but personally I would feel uncomfortable using one. If your younger though it might be a decent idea since they are the ones who tend to get hit more by bad bounces.

[hawkiirock]

manny wears some sort of mouth guard while batting. For relaxation9iirc) rather than safety though

[Baseball gLove]

My son had to wear a flap extension for a year. He had fractured his orbital socket and now has a titanium implant. He didn't want to wear a mask, so we told him if he wanted to play he had to wear the flap extension.

[TL_Dad]

My oldest son wore a mouth guard from 10yo till 14yo, now at 16 he won't be caught dead wearing one.

I made him wear one because he had his front teeth broken off not once, not twice, but three times. I have been lucky enough to purchase five caps and two flippers although one of the flippers was not a baseball accident he spit it out in Lake Michigan.

I would never allow any of my players to make fun of any player wearing a mouth guard. I always have my son take out his flipper and show it to everyone on my 9U and 10U team and explain how important it is to use both hands.

Parents don't think that a mouth guard will save teeth from damage it will only help reduce damage. He had both of his front teeth (Caps) shattered by a bad hop when he was 12.

[TG Coach]

Let's have them wear skirts and roll them in bubble wrap. There are inherent risks with playing sports. If you don't want to take the risk, don't play.

[TL_Dad]

Let's have them wear skirts and roll them in bubble wrap. There are inherent risks with playing sports. If you don't want to take the risk, don't play.

My son was wearing a mouth guard and both of his caps still were shattered. I guess I should of been more clear. I agree there is a risk and he is still playing and doesn't think twice about eating another ball.

[kylebee]

Let's have them wear skirts and roll them in bubble wrap. There are inherent risks with playing sports. If you don't want to take the risk, don't play.

Yeah, so let's not wear cups or helmets while they're batting, right?

Mouthguards are a fine idea. Lots of my HS kids and LL kids have worn them. No one makes fun of them.

[skipper5]

Let's have them wear skirts and roll them in bubble wrap. There are inherent risks with playing sports. If you don't want to take the risk, don't play.

If it had to be one or the the other, it makes more sense for infielders to wear a mouthguard instead of a cup. From a economic standpoint, definitely.

Cups are bubblewrap--an attempt to avoid temporary pain and injury. Why do macho guys allow their sons to wear a cup?

Native Americans played lacrosse in a loin-cloth.

Best example of bubble-wrap is when MLB batters wear the armor to protect their arms. It even looks like bubblewrap. Those dudes are wimps, man.

[Jake Patterson]

I don't see the big deal... Let them wear them. I have never had an issue.

[Dakai]

If it builds confidence it can't be a bad thing.

[g-mac]

Let's have them wear skirts and roll them in bubble wrap. There are inherent risks with playing sports. If you don't want to take the risk, don't play.

I'm hoping your kidding. We all know and accept the risks of the sport, but if a three dollar mouthpiece will save their teeth or three thousand dollars worth of braces, what's the big deal?
My son wears a mouthpiece to protect his braces just the same as he did in martial arts. Should he stop fighting in tournaments because he has enough sense to protect his teeth?
Keep the bubble wrap, but if he will wear a mouthpiece, I love the idea. It's no different than wearing a cup. I've stressed wearing a cup since he was seven to get used to wearing it...I want to have grandkids one day.:D

[skipper5]

Skipper 5 mentioned this in another thread (hit in the forehead):

(a) insist that your son wear a mouth-guard to protect his teeth from injury

How many of you or your kids wear a mouth guard in baseball?
Is it common? I personally havent seen it in little league.

I think it is a good idea but have never heard of it before. I can only think of positive things about a mouth guard and nothing negative about using it in baseball. Anyone have experience with this? Thanks

To return to the Original Post:

1. Very very few kids wear a mouth guard in baseball. It is extemely un-common.

2. The biggest negative of a mouthguard is that the wearer will be stigmatized as a skirt-wearer.


From a rational risk-rewards-- and probability-- standpoint, for infielders on the small diamond:

1. Wood bats: cups are advisable, but not necessary.

2. Metal bats: cups are necessary.

3. Composite bats: cups are necesarry. Mouth-guards are worth considering (if your son has expensive braces, and you aren't made of money, and don't mind if your son is called a skirti-wearer).

[Rebel_11]

As a player if I ever saw someone wearing a mouthpiece I would see them as the biggest wimps on the field. If he is so worried about getting hit then he obviously isn't very good at fielding ground balls. I would have no respect

[wild12]

I wouldn't tell a kid to not wear one if I were a coach...but as a player, I would probably be beaking that kid the entire game and calling him out for it. I also play hockey, and I know in hockey it always felt like I couldn't breathe whenever I tried a mouthguard (was forced to wear it a couple times)...I can't stand them.

[new2thesport]

http://www.drphilthedentist.com/files/u1/Manny-Ramirez.jpg

More info of these performance enhancing mouth guards: (nothing on skirts though:laugh)
http://www.ultimateaesthetics.com/ppm.html

I did find some interesting reads on Collins. Here is an excerpt from an article that could be found here:
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/06/05/batted-balls-threaten-high-school-baseball-players.html

It's not clear why baseball players don't use better protective equipment now, Collins said. "We really need to do more research to see if it's just that people don't know the risks of these types of injures, or they're unaware that mouth guards or face guards could prevent these, or if it's the culture of the sport. We realize that would be very difficult to change."

Fifty of the injuries were caused by players being hit by batted balls, and nearly two-thirds of those balls were to the head/face and mouth/teeth. Nearly one in five batted ball injuries required surgery, the study revealed.

"As a pediatric emergency physician, one of the most common baseball injuries that I see is eye injuries from batted or thrown balls, and dental injuries are also quite common. These injuries have the potential of being serious or even permanently disabling, yet they could be easily prevented," he said.

Also a study from Japan:


During sports, injuries may be caused by contact between players or the equipment. The use of a mouthguard is advocated for the prevention of oral injuries such as those of the teeth and jaw bones due to such accidents, but it has also been suggested to increase the risk in sports that require vocal communication among players such as baseball as it makes vocalization difficult. We provided mouthguards for members of the Japanese National Team that participated in the 21st AAA International Baseball Championship Games and evaluated their application, their functions, and their defects by a questionnaire with the cooperation by the Japan High School Baseball Federation. After obtaining impressions, mouthguards were prepared using Justouch (Hybler, Kuraray Medical) for 18 high school baseball players. The players practiced and played games wearing the mouthguards and answered a questionnaire concerning the feeling of their application, vocalization, functions, and inconveniences. Of the players, 78% had no previous experience of using a mouthguard, 21% felt difficulty in speaking, 8% complained of increased salivation, and 4% felt strangeness. To the question whether they considered a mouthguard necessary for the prevention of oral injuries during baseball practice or games, 78% answered that they considered it necessary; to the question whether they would consider the use of a mouthguard in the future, 67% of the players answered yes. The results of this questionnaire indicate that many baseball players have considerable interest in the mouthguard and are aware of the necessity of its use for the prevention of injuries. (author abst.)

http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/200606/000020060606A0100376.php

[Jake Patterson]

Good post .

[Mikjary]

My son used to be the poster child for not wearing a mouthguard. After several collisions with fences and players in the outfield he said 'no'. Still 'no' after a concussion. I bought him a $25 mouthguard that was supposed to protect him from injury and he told me 'no'.
Then this year he almost lost a tooth in a collision; caught an elbow and sent his tooth completely through his bottom lip; collided with a teammate in the outfield and broke his jaw in 2 places. He spent 4 weeks with his jaw wired till the steel plates could take hold. When I ask him now about his mouthguard he says..."I k'no'w, Dad, I k'no'w!".

[wogdoggy]

my lil guy is getting 4,000 dollars worth of braces put on and he will be wearing a mouthguard, ....please also tell me what kind of moron wouldnt want to protect their teeth?,:crazy

[g-mac]

As a player if I ever saw someone wearing a mouthpiece I would see them as the biggest wimps on the field. If he is so worried about getting hit then he obviously isn't very good at fielding ground balls. I would have no respect
That has easily got to be one of the most ridiculous posts I've ever read. I love the fact that since he lightened my wallet with his braces, he's doing us both a favor by wearing a mouthpiece.
He has worn one for years in martial arts and I highly doubt he is worried about being called a wimp.
And he's a pretty sound infielder, but if you don't think you need a cup or mouthpiece, maybe you're not playing hard enough.

[baseballdad]

As soon as you say it's not necessary you can count on someone getting hit there. I tell all my kids to wear a cup regardless of the position they play. Never considered mouthguards though.