Mouthguards

[BoomerSooner]

I'm certainly not coming from a position of expertise, but having worn braces, I know the purpose of these special mouth guards is to prevent the inside of the lips from being cut by the braces. I never had this problem playing football because my facemask prevented anything from contacting me directly in the mouth. Basketball was another story though because the face and more importantly the mouth is exposed to contact from a tipped pass, elbow, etc. My orthodontist left the decision entirely up to me for both sports with a stronger recommendation for basketball for the reasons I described, but he never made it as a medical or orthdontia recommendation...only a personal one.

The purpose of a normal mouthpiece, however, is to minimize the impact of a hit that causes significant movement of the head i.e. head hitting the ground. I read an article supporting this position with evidence saying players that wore mouthpieces were less susceptible to concusions.

All I'm saying is that with this being the case, I don't see allowing a clear mouthpiece (and circumventing the rule) on the grounds that it is medically necessary. Now a state provision that allows for it makes it fine for me. I've also seen from years past that it is the kids that want to wear clear mouthpieces do so because they think they can get rid of them a few minutes into the game.