A Strong Case For Athletic Mouth Guards

Aside from dentistry, soccer is one of my other passions. I have played the game since I was four. Unfortunately over the last thirty-three years I have seen my fair share of injuries during game play and practice. I have had several friends lose teeth, fracture teeth, fracture jaws, and suffer concussions. My friends that have lost or broken teeth have had crowns, bridges, and implants to remedy the problem. Yet most of them have invested in an athletic mouth guard.

I would strongly recommend that any athlete, especially the young athlete, involved in contact sport consider a mouth guard. Not only is damage to a front tooth costly, but can also result in a lot of time spent in the dental chair over a lifetime. Most times these injuries can be lessened, if not totally prevented, by wearing a guard.

Case in point, during our game last Sunday two of my teammates actually suffered dental injuries. One player had a front tooth fractured thanks in part to an opposing player’s attempted overhead kick. The resultant broken tooth not only needed an all porcelain crown, but will need continued monitoring to insure that the tooth nerve doesn’t die from the trauma it suffered. Our second player suffered a mild concussion from another player’s head contacting his chin while jousting for a head ball. This type of injury could’ve been much worse, but even a mild concussion can make a person more susceptible to future concussions. Both injuries could’ve been prevented with a mouth guard. Mouth guards are very good at absorbing direct contact from an elbow, head, hand, foot, etc. Guards are also very effective in preventing concussion by acting as a shock absorber that prevents the jaw bone from crashing against the skull. While it is after the fact, both players are now fitted and committed to wearing their new athletic mouth guards.

Suwanee Dental Care currently fabricates mouth guards for the Gwinnett Gladiators hockey team and Georgia Force arena football teams. The mandatory wear for both sets of players has helped keep our dental emergencies to a minimum over the the last 6 years. If an athletic guard is something that interests you please contact our office for an evaluation.

Sicerely,

Dr. Smith

Thanks For Giving

Thanksgiving is a time of thanks for many things in our country today. It began with the thanks to God for those who provided sustenance for another day so that the Pilgrims could get through the hard New England winter. The years have passed and the meaning and significance of Thanksgiving has gained many additional tones, hues and textures.

While Thanksgiving is a national holiday, not a religious holiday, it does have its roots in being thankful to God for giving us a way to survive, to prosper and to live to see another day. At Suwanee Dental Care, we honor the original meaning of Thanksgiving.

Also, I am thankful for the children that have passed before our eyes, growing into young people who court and marry. I have seen three generations grow to maturity in my practice and have had the pleasure of serving the aged as well as the honor of attending their funeral celebrations as they pass on to higher ground. The finality of death touches us each and every year, but this year, loosing my mother-in-law and my father has had a strong impact on the meaning of life and the fragility of it, also. I'm glad that I got to have both of them and my mother who has Alzheimer's living with us in their last months as I got to know them better because of it. They are missed.

As our practice matures, here in Suwanee, I am thankful for the families that join us and entrust their care to us. We are honored to be called "Your Dentist". As one of our older dentists retired from working with us and we add two younger dentists, Dr. Blazej Golik and Dr. Chad Schalk, I hope you'll be equally able to receive their caring touch and gentle manner as they assume that title of "Your Dentist".

You see, I'm very thankful for my partners in the dental practice, Dr. Jeremy Smith, who has been with us seven years, as well as Dr. Golik and Dr. Schalk. They allow me to focus on the difficult cases, the unusual needs of our patient population, the advanced dental reconstructions. These guys are excellent and are the backbone of our practice.

Yes, I'm still doing a lot of general dentistry, but the majority of my time is spent with the type cases that are more challenging. I'm putting my 37 years of experience and my two Masterships to work to assist those who need it most. Thank you for the confidence you show me, thanks for the referrals of your friends and loved ones and thanks that we get to be dentists in the greatest country on Earth. Thanks be to God for giving us our place to shine His light on others.

The Gwinnett Gladiators are back in action and need your support!! The action is fast and furious as the premiere Gwinnett hockey team takes the ice. It is truly an fun family event and the atmosphere is electric. Suwanee Dental Care is the official dental team for the Gladiators and we love having fans come by to find out more. I have always enjoyed not only attending games, but seeing my patients there taking in the action as well. We have tickets available and if you want to cheer with me, just let me know!
We specialize in making custom mouth guards for both the players and our patients. Custom guards not only protect teeth, but help stop concussions for athletes in all sports. Some of our mouths guards even increase the ability for players to function better while active. Mouthguards can be a huge part not only in overall protection, but becoming a better athlete!
Come by and see us at Suwanee Dental Care!