Medical Center Dentists Apply Splint Therapy and a Custom Dental Mouthguard That Stopped Chronic Headaches and Pain and Got a Rice University Wide Receiver Back in the Game!

Sports Dentistry is essential to the health, safety, team spirit, and accomplishment of athletes.  For this reason, The Houston Medical Center Dental Group has worked for many years in service to Rice University.  We are located only a few steps away from the campus, and make ourselves available to meet any and all sports dentistry needs of the players on the Rice University Football Team. 

A recent case study of a Rice University Football player illustrates how a combination of advanced sports dentistry and sophisticated cosmetic dental solutions were able to assist a wide receiver overcome constant pain and get back in the game. 

The patient first came to our office as a result of a series of concussions and chronic pain that severely impaired his performance.  The expert trainers at Rice referred him to us, confident that we could diagnose and treat his condition. 

The wide receiver was facing two very severe and specific problems with which he had struggled over the years. 

The first problem he had was a series of concussions he had experienced.  Other teammates, his trainers, and his coaches were all deeply concerned that these conditions would worsen and cause him additional problems off the field as well as on the field if they were not appropriately addressed and corrected. 

The other condition that he struggled with was temporal mandibular joint (TMJ) problems.  This condition had surfaced again and again while playing football and it caused him chronic pain that was becoming increasingly acute.  His right TMJ in particular was constantly hurting him. 

In order to determine the extent of his previous concussions, we did a series of tests on his head and neck, along with a full set of X-rays. 

In order to address the problem with concussions, we made the wide receiver a custom mouthguard.  Custom-made mouthguards for players are one of the most valuable sports dentistry services we offer.  Unlike other mouthguards, they are made from a cast of the patients teeth and offer total comfort combined with maximum protection. 

To treat the headaches caused by his TMJ, we performed splint therapy. 

Splint therapy is a procedure where teeth are joined together to increase their strength.  This is done using composite dental resin to bond the teeth together and make them more stable while chewing. 

The wide receiver will have to continue with this treatment every three to six months to maintain the stability of the dental bond.  However, this is a small price to pay for the alleviation of the pain that has resulted from the treatment.

The trainers immediately noticed that our custom mouthguard worked so well for the player that he suffered no further concussions.  They requested that we make custom mouthguards for the entire team.  We do this every August now, just before season starts.