ProtexsmileŽ for the prevention of dental traumas.
Sports activities while a source of physical and mental health, may also provoke a series of traumas in the athlete unless suitable preventive measures are taken, leading in turn to long and costly therapies. Numerous types of mouth trauma can be eliminated simply by using adequate protection. "Class I" and "Class II" ProtexsmileŽ are the best available in high tech., ready-made mouth guards.

The mechanism of dental structure accidents in athletes.
When physical contact between athletes is frequent, most accidents are a result of direct collisions, with blows struck with the head, knees and elbows or punches that may be voluntary or involuntary. In non-contact sports the athlete may fall and hit the sports equipment - hockey sticks, baseball bats, skis, tennis rackets, ski boards, surf boards etc., or may be hit by a ball - tennis balls can reach a speed of 200 km/h during service.

What happens when we get hit?
When hit, the mouth (jaw, lips, tongue, teeth, etc.) is exposed to lacerations, cracking and fractures. The degree of injury depends on the direction and intensity of the blow and the position of the jaw at the time of impact. The jaw (the bone on which our lower teeth are positioned) has various natural positions: mouth open, in which the teeth are far apart (FIG. 1), mouth at rest, in which the upper and lower teeth are near to each other but do not touch (FIG. 2), mouth closed, in which the teeth are in close contact blocking all movement of the jaw (FIG. 3). When the jaw can move freely (FIGURES 1 and 2), it is more prone to cracking or fractures, and the athlete is exposed to the risk of a Knockout caused by a violent backward displacement of the jaw, affecting the brain mass. When the jaw is blocked (teeth tightly closed FIG. 3), however and tightly anchored to the upper jaw, it is less exposed to fractures. Fractures in the jaw are surely among the most severe injuries that an athlete may incur in the mouth. Fractured teeth, lacerations and cuts in the lips and gums are obviously the most commonly found injuries caused by blows to the lower face, independently of the position of the jaw.