Always wear a mouthguard when skiing or snowboarding, it has been urged.
Anyone watching the ongoing Winter Olympics and finding the urge to go skiing or snowboarding themselves has been urged to ensure they wear a mouthguard. 
The Canadian Press reported the device can provide a high degree of protection and ensure a fall does not mean a hasty trip to the emergency dentist’s office.
Dr Don Friedlander, a member of the Canadian Dental Association, commented: “Most importantly with the young people [is] to get them used to wearing mouth guards and understanding that, you know what, their heroes wear them, it’s cool to wear one, it’s smart to wear one.”
The organisation noted that mouthguards can help to protect against potentially very serious injuries, as not only do they protect the teeth, but they stop the teeth from hurting the rest of the mouth during a fall.
Elsewhere, men’s Olympic luge silver medallist David Moeller recently broke a tooth after he bit down too hard on his medal during a photo op.
The 28-year-old German athlete bit off more than he could chew when photographers asked him to carry out the obligatory bite on his prize.