Members of the Prince George Cougars had their mouths full as they visited the College of New Caledonia today.
Second-year dental students took molds of the player’s upper jaws, providing a custom fit that Athletic Therapist Craig Hyslop says makes a big difference.
“From my end of things, it does a lot for concussion prevention. You get a lot of shock absorption going through the skull when you get hit, and a good mouth guard can definitely absorb some of that, and reduce some of the trauma sent through the jaw to the skull, rattling the brain a little bit less.”
Hyslop added an ill-fitting mouth guard can impede breather and deter players from wearing them.
According to CNC Dental Clinic Coordinator Heather Brown, the partnership has stretched over nearly 20 years, with CNC only charging $60 per player.
A third of that money goes back to the graduating class.
“The money can go towards anything community-related,” explains Brown, “So if they’re going to visit a school of small children, they would buy toothbrushes and floss for them. They’ve built floats for the May Day Parade, they;ve done a number of different things.”
And that’s not the only plus for the students.
“They learn to take compressions on people they haven’t seen before,” says Brown, “Prior to this, they’ve really only taken impressions on each other.”
The service isn’t limited to the Cougars; anyone wishing to get a custom mouth guard can do so at CNC.
Looking good, team.
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
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