Mouthguard advice - for a mouth full of gaps

[chimera-ma]

Goodness, I don't know a thing about scrum helmets, but I'd be much happier if DS could wear one for rugby. Can parents insist? Otherwise, I'd rather he kept well out of it - which is probably unrealistic. He didn't mind tag rugby at Primary, but thinks the real thing 'too rough'... and he's not fast on his (flat) feet, so I can just see him under a pile of boys...

[KB]

You can insist with your DS but I doubt the teacher will get involved in making boys follow parental wishes. Not much sport would take place!

Please let him wait and see what it's actually like playing at secondary school before minds are made up about whether he will enjoy it or not.

My DCs weren't aggressive ' manly ' types but they both got some enjoyment from rugby at secondary school.

[chimera-ma]

Thanks. I hope DS will find a new sport or two that he likes. He's a swimming fan and competed for his primary school, but swimming doesn't seem to be on the curriculum at his new school. He enjoys playing football and there'll be some opportunity for that. Perhaps hockey, as KB suggested, will be the thing - new mouthguard in place!

[kenyancowgirl]

+1 everything Amber said about mouth guards. Don't play fast and loose with a boil in the bag one. Our dentist was marvellous at making free of charge adjustments to the mouth guard and it ended up fitting perfectly for two years.

With regards to head guards.....do your research. I have two boys, both forwards and play at a high level...everything I have read has lead me to not having them play with scrum caps as being the safest option. I think Rob Clark would probably agree with me.

[doodles]

KCG whilst agreeing with you on gum guards we will have to agree to disagree about scrum helmets - the research is not conclusive - and my senior son who also plays at a high level will wear one until he's 18 and technically doesn't have to listen to me anymore. Though of course when he's having to have his cauliflower ears syringed I will not hesitate to say "I told you so"

[Rob Clark]

I think Rob Clark would probably agree with me.

I would, yes. There is increasing evidence across all sports that wearing headguards leads to more head injuries rather than fewer – this has been particularly noted in recent research in American football while those of you who have watched boxing at the Olympics this year may have noticed that amateur boxers no longer wear headguards of any kind.

That said, you can make a case for forwards playing in them to protect the ears as Doodles mentions. A few professionals still wear them in the forwards; in the backs they only players who do so are ones who have previously suffered serious head injuries such as Danny Cipriani and Matt Giteau.

[Amber]

those of you who have watched boxing at the Olympics this year may have noticed that amateur boxers no longer wear headguards of any kind.

There seem to be fads in sport, and watching the Olympics this year I have been interested to see gymnasts covered in what look like large elastoplasts (instead of the screamingly bright coloured tapes stuck all over tennis players the last time I saw any tennis, which was admittedly about four years ago) and American swimmers looking like they have been bitten by swarms of horseflies, apparently because they have been 'cupping', which does sound vaguely kinky but is apparently meant to draw impurities out of your body (resists urge to say 'quack quack'). The range of tattoos is interesting: large tracts of what the tattooist swears are eastern religious texts as well as elaborate scenes seeming to depict the entire rise and fall of the Roman Empire in one case. So helmets and mouthguards seem pretty boring and mainstream after all that lot.


And with a nod to the original topic - DH always says that teeth, unlike most bones, won't mend if you break them, and the consequences of a mouth full of broken teeth are psychologically very damaging, so why not get it done properly? Happily my sons have never shown any interest in playing rugby, though all three of my kids have done dangerous sports, with nasty injuries resulting in one case (climbing). I am delighted none of them has equestrian ambitions, and they don't bother bringing the letters about ski trips home from school as they know what I would say!

[kenyancowgirl]

I think Rob Clark would probably agree with me.

I would, yes. There is increasing evidence across all sports that wearing headguards leads to more head injuries rather than fewer – this has been particularly noted in recent research in American football while those of you who have watched boxing at the Olympics this year may have noticed that amateur boxers no longer wear headguards of any kind.

That said, you can make a case for forwards playing in them to protect the ears as Doodles mentions. A few professionals still wear them in the forwards; in the backs they only players who do so are ones who have previously suffered serious head injuries such as Danny Cipriani and Matt Giteau.

Or use bandage and Elastoplast - the old fashioned way to protect ears without the inherent risk of scrum caps!

[doodles]

Just doesn't do it KCG, as I said we will have to agree to disagree.

[kenyancowgirl]

Absolutely doodles - you have to do what you believe is best, as a mother. All I am doing is pointing out to those who know very little about rugby is that there is a lot of evidence suggesting that scrum caps may actually be more dangerous. Ultimately it comes down to personal choice - in the same way that some people choose boil in the bag mouth guards over dentist fitted ones!