Well it’s that time of year again, time to bust out the brackets. No, we aren’t talking about getting your braces off early, (sorry we couldn’t pass on the orthodontic humor here!) we are talking about your March Madness brackets. And what you may not know while you are filling out your bracket is how important braces and the care of your braces can be when it comes to the game of basketball.
Yep that’s right, it’s here! Time to fill out your college basketball bracket!
Keeping your mouth safe
Did you know studies have shown that basketball is the leading college sport associated with injuries to the teeth and mouth? And believe it or not, traumatic dental injuries were five times more likely to happen in a basketball game compared to a football game. In football mouth guards are a requirement, however, in basketball they are not.
So next time you lace up your sneakers to hit the court, remember to grab your mouth guard too. It may just save you from a traumatic dental injury and for those with braces, it could save you a lot of the time and money you spent working towards that fabulous smile.
Fabulous Basketball Smiles
If you were to turn on an NBA game and see the LA Clippers you may notice a familiar face dawning a ever so needed mouth guard. Nate Robinson who plays for the Clippers wears his mouth guard proudly to protect his braces. Robinson, who lead the University of Washington to the Sweet Sixteen during his junior year of college knows that to prevent a serious dental injury, his mouth guard is a must.
A handful of other NBA players have also had braces. Among those is Dwight Howard who was in braces when he got drafted into the NBA just after high school.
Braces for Adults Too
You may think that braces are just for children and teens, but as you can see from famous stars like Nate Robinson, who will turn 31 this year, braces can be worn at any age. This is why we love doing what we do, from children to teens to even professional basketball players, braces help create beautiful and lasting smiles.
Dr. Elrod has been practicing orthodontics for more than 30 years and loves helping both teens and adults gain confidence in their smiles. If you’re ready to learn more, give us a call at 816-373-6006, or visit Elrod Orthodontics on facebook!
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