The Capitals explain why NHL players find themselves chewing on mouthguards rather than keeping them in.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — Washington Capitals Pierre-Luc Dubois has gone through his fair share of mouthguards over the course of his career, and right now, he's waiting to get a new one after chewing his down.
Dubois, like many other NHLers including Matthew Tkachuk, has fallen into a habit of using it less as a mouthguard and more as chewing gum.
"Mine, they don't last very long, because the left side always gets a beating," he laughed. "Even as an infant, I was always chewing on stuff, so I guess it's just that coming back to life."
Mouthguards are supposed to stay in, protecting the teeth while helping absorb impact to the jaw. More often than not, though, they'll be hanging out of players' mouths.
But why does it happen more often than not?
For Trevor van Riemsdyk, it was a "nervous tick," something he did to try and pass the downtime on the bench and calm down during high-intensity games.
"Everyone's asking like, 'Why are you even wearing it if you're not using it?'" Van Riemsdyk said, adding, "For a while, it was more of a nervous habit where you just like to have something to chew on and keep busy. You can't twiddle your thumbs, so you chew on your mouthguard."
Van Riemsdyk has tried to get better at avoiding chewing on it and keeping it in, citing the need to not only protect his teeth but his head.
"I've gotten better," he joked.
Though studies haven't necessarily proven that mouthguards reduce the risk of concussion, the technology is evolving, and wearing a mouthguard could decrease a hard impact to the jaw, preventing it from radiating to the rest of the head. It also offers facial protection.
That's the biggest reason that Nic Dowd, a longtime mouthguard advocate, plays by the rules and doesn't let his mouthguard leave his teeth when he's on the ice, while also taking it out on the bench to avoid falling into the habit of chewing on it's a safety thing," Dowd said. "I use it to protect my teeth and my brain."
At the end of the day, it's an interesting habit around the league, and most of the time, just a mindless habit.
