Should a Mouth Guard Form Part of Our Gym Kits? by Neil Photay

Discussing the importance of mouth guards at the gym

by Neil Photay

It’s not something that will have crossed the mind of many people, but when you look at the sort of activities that take place at the gym, it’s surprising how risky some of them are.

Most people think that mouth guards should be used only during contact sports and other high-impact scenarios, but the truth is that a number of activities at the gym could be putting people’s teeth in danger.

This is something that professionals should bear in mind when discussing the lifestyle habits of patients who visit the gym regularly.

A fitness revolution
Whether it’s down to societal pressures to look good or a growing interest in personal health, gym membership among UK residents is higher than ever. Recent reports indicate that 14 percent of us now belong to a fitness center, which equates to 9.7 million people heading to the gym on a regular basis.¹ One news story stated that gym membership rose by 44 percent between 2014 and 2015 alone,² indicating how fast this interest is growing. Whilst this is good news for personal health, it also means that more people could be putting themselves at risk of dental injury.

What are the risks for gym-goers?
The risk of dental injury at the gym varies greatly depending on which equipment and activities are regularly used. People who predominantly stick to running machines or the swimming pool are unlikely to be at a risk high enough to entail the need for dental protection; however, other activities carry risks that are worth detailing to patients to ensure they are aware of the damage they may cause.

The main risk to the dentition of people to visit the gym is related to lifting weights. Research has found that it’s common for those lifting heavy weights to clench their jaws³ and this could be causing a number of negative effects on their teeth.

Effectively a form of awake bruxism, constant clenching and grinding of the jaw during exercise can lead to serious dental injury. The force exerted during clenching can chip and fracture teeth over time or wear them down, leading to the need for restorative work that can be expensive for the patient.

This constant force can cause even more catastrophic results. Robert Herbst, a powerlifting champion from the U.S., detailed during an interview how his right molar ‘exploded’ under the extreme pressure he was exerting on it while lifting weights, forcing him to undergo dental implant surgery.⁴

Many gyms in the UK are also leisure centres that have courts and fields attached, where members can play sports such as football, squash and other activities that may present risks of dental trauma.

Squash in particular is a sport where dental injury can easily occur. Because of the high velocity of gameplay and the close contact and use of racquets, injuries to the maxillofacial area are surprisingly common; one survey found that out of 650 squash-playing participants, more than 20?percent of them had witnessed a dental injury occur during gameplay.⁵ (Most worryingly, this study also revealed that although such a high proportion had witnessed dental trauma firsthand, only one person wore a mouth guard when playing.)

Protect them with a mouth guard
As with many sporting activities, the best way to protect your patients from harm is to prescribe a mouth guard.

A mouth guard may not be necessary for all patients who visit the gym, but prevention is always better than treatment. By making them aware that certain activities at the gym could put them at risk, you’re giving them the option to protect themselves and prevent the need for future treatment should an accident occur.

References

1. 1. The 2017 State of the UK Fitness Report 2017. Leisure DB. Link: http://www.leisuredb.com/blog/2017/5/5/2017-state-of-the-uk-fitness-industry-report-out-now [Last Accessed June 18].
2. 2. The Guardian. UK Gym Membership Spending up by 44%. Link: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/aug/18/uk-gym-membership-spending-up-by-44-per-cent [Last accessed June 18].
3. 3. Huang, D., Chou, S., Chen, Y., Chiou, W. Frowning and Jaw Clenching Muscle Activity Reflects the Perception of Effort During Incremental Workload Cycling. J Sports Sci Med. 2014; 13(4): 921–928.
4. 4. The Independent. Could the Gym be Ruining Your Teeth?
5. 5. Persic, R., Pohl, Y., Filippi, A. Dental Squash Injuries – A Survey Among Players and Coaches in Switzerland, Germany and France. Dent Traumatol. 2006; 22(5): 231-6.