Following are the criteria to meet the qualifications of the position of a Team Dentist™ [ASD]:

• Be a licensed dentist in compliance with the dental practice act of his/her state.
• Be a member in good standing of the Academy for Sports Dentistry [ASD]
• Attend and complete the ASD Team Dentist course
• Complete a minimum of fifteen credit hours of continuing education in sports dentistry-related subjects every three years
• Acquire the knowledge and expertise to educate health care professionals, certified athletic trainers, coaches, athletes and parents on the benefits and methods of prevention of sports-related oral facial injuries and oral diseases
• Be proficient in the fabrication and delivery of properly fitted mouthguards including impression techniques and establishment of occlusion
• Be well-versed in the diagnosis and treatment of ora-facial trauma including but not limited to:
  • Oral-facial first aid resulting from contusions, lacerations
  • Emergency/immediate treatment of dental luxations, avulsions and tooth fractures
  • Identification of maxillary and mandibular fractures
  • Identification and treatment of TMJ injuries and dislocations
  • Identify medical complications of head trauma
  • Be familiar with doping issues and the effects of illicit and performance enhancing drugs
• Establish a support team of dental specialists and auxillary staff.
• Cooperate with the other members of the Sports Medicine Team to ensure the health and well being of the athletes.

Approved by the Academy for Sports Dentistry Board of Directors 12/05/2009

An athletic mouthguard is a resilient device or appliance placed inside the mouth to reduce injuries particularly to the teeth and surrounding structures.

1. Pertinent Medical History
2. Dental Status that considers:

1. It should be fabricated to adequately cover and protect both the teeth in the arch, and the surrounding tissues.
2. It should be fabricated on a stone model taken from an impression of the athlete.
3. Adequate thickness in all areas to provide for the reduction of impact forces. In particular, a minimum of 3mm thickness in the occlusal/labial area.
4. It should have a seated equilibrated occlusion that is balanced for even occlusal contact. This helps to provide for the ideal absorption of impact energy. 
5. A fit that is retentive and not dislodged on impact.
6. Speech considerations equal to the demands of the playing status of the athlete.
7. A material that meets FDA approval.
8. The properly fitted mouthguard should be routinely and professionally examined for fit and function. Frequency of routine inspection is dependent on factors such as the athlete’s age, the demand of the sport that the athlete is engaged in, and the willingness for the athlete to properly care for the appliance.  The frequency of the inspection should be determined by the dental professional for each individual situation and athlete.

The Academy for Sports Dentistry recommends the use of a properly fitted mouthguard. It encourages the use of a custom fabricated mouthguard made over a dental cast and delivered under the supervision of a dentist. The ASD strongly supports and encourages a mandate for use of a properly fitted mouthguard in all collision and contact sports.

Education and Manpower have been identified as critical issues in the delivery of properly-fitted mouthguards.  In a 1989 survey of dental schools only 1/3 of dental schools offered some instruction in the fabrication of mouthguards.

The Academy for Sports Dentistry supports the position that the dental school curriculum includes topics related to sports dentistry and the fabrication of properly fitted* mouthguards (lecture & laboratory). 

The Academy for Sports Dentistry recommends that the American Association of Dental Schools and the Council on Dental Education of the American Dental Association consider the adoption of Sports Dentistry curricular guidelines for pre-doctoral dental programs.

*See ASD Definition of a “Properly-Fitted Mouthguard.”

Approved by the Academy for Sports Dentistry Board of Directors 2/06/1999

There is an historic link between sports and smokeless tobacco known by other names including spit tobacco, dip, snuff, and chewing tobacco.  It is a potent source of nicotine, and known carcinogen, and research has documented it as addictive and adverse to oral and general health. 

ASD supports and endorses education, organizations, programs and marketing directed towards the prevention and cessation of the use of smokeless tobacco products. 

ASD also encourages support of the concept that smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarettes or any other form of smoking.

Approved by the Academy for Sports Dentistry Board of Directors 11/19/2000