SACRAMENTO - The Assembly Education Committee yesterday approved Assembly Bill 2165 by Assembly Member Betty Karnette (D – Long Beach), which seeks to protect student athletes from sports-related oral injuries and head trauma.

Under current law, student athletes are not required to wear protective mouth guards. Karnette proposed to require the inexpensive but protective safety devices, but was asked to remove the mandate portion of her bill due to cost concerns. As amended, AB 2165 now calls for school and university athletics governing bodies to consider requiring mouth guard use in certain contact sports.

“The reason why athletic trainers and dentists agree that we should require student athletes to wear mouth guards is plain and simple: Kids should not be forced to risk serious oral or health injuries just to play a game,” said Karnette, “especially when the injuries can be prevented.”

Fitted mouth guards, which may eventually be required of all football, basketball, soccer, wrestling, field hockey, lacrosse players at state schools, colleges and universities if AB 2165 is enacted, are effective and inexpensive; mouth guards that comply with AB 2165 can be found in the $5 range. The American Dental Association recommends mouth guards for 29 high school sports because they may reduce the severity and incidence of concussions. The National Collegiate Athletic Association already requires mouth guards for all football, field hockey, lacrosse, and ice hockey players, but no such requirement exists for student athletes in California.

Writing in support of AB 2165, the California Dental Association (CDA) states: “It is estimated that between 13% and 39% of dental injuries occur while playing sports with most injuries, 59%, occurring in children 10 to 13 years old. The best protection for teeth and gums is a customized mouth guard. A professionally made mouth guard protects the teeth and gums, which can sustain damage that may permanently affect one’s ability to chew, speak and breathe.” The measure is sponsored by the California Athletic Trainers Association.

“As a teacher, I can tell you that physical education is an essential component of the learning process,” Karnette said, “but the state should not use precious and limited education dollars on sports without doing the affordable things to keep kids safe.”

Although studies demonstrate dental benefits of athletic mouth guards, studies have not yet confirmed that mouth guards conclusively protect against head trauma; however, anecdotal evidence suggests a strong link. During four National Football League seasons from 2000 to 2003, 203 concussions were reported throughout the league; none were reported by the New England Patriots franchise, which requires its players to wear mouth guards. Because the medical community now recognizes that first-time concussions increase the likelihood and recovery time of future concussions, focus on potential concussion-reduction of mouth guards has increased in recent years.

Studies show that teenagers and youths are more susceptible than adults to immediate harm from brain injuries because their brain tissue is less developed and more easily damaged. Girls are at a higher risk of suffering a concussion than boys, suffering 68 percent more concussions than boys in soccer and three times more concussions than boys in basketball.

According to a nationwide study published in the Journal of Athletic Training, football has the highest rate of concussions in high school sports with 47 concussions occurring per 100,000 player games or practices. Girls’ soccer has the second highest rate of concussions in high school sports with 36 concussions occurring per 100,000 player-games or practices. Boys soccer and girls basketball have the third and fourth highest rate of concussions in high school sports with 22 and 21 concussions per 100,000 player games or practices, respectively. In the sport of football alone, since 1997, at least 50 high school or younger athletes have been killed or sustained serious head injuries on the field. Mouth guards can also reduce concussions of adult athletes.