Athletes always put their bodies under extreme stress to meet up with professional standards and maintain their positions. Things get even trickier when it comes to athletes in contact sports like basketball, football, boxing, martial arts, and more. They must take extra steps to protect their faces, teeth, and every other part of their body. In this piece, however, we will focus on how professional athletes protect their teeth.

Custom-Made Mouthguards

One of the best ways athletes protect themselves from always ending up at the Austin emergency dental wards is using custom-made mouthguards. These mouthguards are tailor-made to fit the athlete's teeth perfectly, making them more effective than mass-produced, over-the-counter pieces. A dentist uses impressions from the wearer's mouth to make custom-made mouthguards. You will find these types of mouthguards primarily with professionals in the NBA, NHL, and NFL. These pieces can prevent tooth injury by up to 60%, according to some studies.

Use Mouthguard Cases

Since mouthguards go in and out of the mouth, it's easy to gather bacteria that may lead to new problems. Athletes must take extra care to keep them clean when they are outside the mouth. One way to ensure this is to keep the mouthguard in a case during storage and transportation. Most mouthguards have ventilation holes to maintain airflow and prevent bacteria buildup.

Good Oral Hygiene

Apart from protecting their teeth with mouthguards while training and playing, athletes also follow strict oral hygiene practices. Their professional teams design personalized oral care plans for these athletes. They are encouraged to brush twice daily with the best fluoride toothpaste. These athletes routinely visit dentists for oral checkups, treatment, and cleaning. They also avoid chewing on complex objects. It keeps their teeth healthy and strong for a long time. 

Stay Hydrated

Another way athletes protect their mouths and the rest of their bodies is by staying hydrated. Drinking lots of water keeps your mouth wet, ensuring the saliva neutralizes some bacteria and remineralizes the teeth. They drink liters of water daily before, during, after games, and even during practice. Besides water, your favorite NBA and MLB Hall of Famers consume hydration products that replenish their electrolytes quickly. These products are essential because of the high-intensity nature of their jobs.

Avoid Sugary Sports Drinks

Athletes are careful about what they eat and drink. Their teams usually have a dietician who creates specialized protein-rich meal plans. Apart from eating these delicious meals, they also avoid overly processed foods and foods high in sugar. Sugary foods and drinks have been known to contribute to tooth decay and other oral health challenges. Overconsumption can also lead to weight gain, which isn't always good for an athlete. They usually take sugar-free or low-sugar alternatives that refresh them without risk of tooth damage.

Conclusion

The teeth and the rest of the mouth are essential for maintaining health balance in the body. If you neglect your teeth and it gets infected, the infection can go to your brain and cause serious problems, even death. Athletes aren't the only ones who should invest time and resources into dental health; you should too.

Basketball and many other professional sports expose players to a life of fame and fortune. Unfortunately, the life of luxury isn't without its drawbacks. These players need to live their entire lives walking on eggshells. They make one wrong move and risk public humiliation, a career fall, and a lawsuit. Our focus in this article is on lawsuits. What common lawsuits do basketballers face, and which renowned players have the highest number of lawsuits under their belts? Let's find out.

Professional Basketballer With The Highest Number Of Lawsuits 

According to experienced lawyers like Adante Pointer, the industry's most common types of lawsuits are personal injury claims, contract dispute lawsuits, intellectual property disputes, and endorsement deal lawsuits. In some cases, renowned players have also been sued for harassment and assault. This is why players always need strong legal teams to back them and offer swift resolution to legal troubles. Here are some players who have had their fair share of lawsuits throughout the course of their careers.

Dennis Rodman

Dennis Rodman has had a lucrative career as a power forward in the basketball industry since he launched his career. However, he is also one of the most controversial figures in the sport, considering the fact that he has been sued seven times in twelve years. These cases were all due to one form of sexual harassment or another, and five out of the seven cases were sealed. He didn't face criminal charges because these were civil suits and he was forced to pay out compensations to his victims.

Latrell Sprewell

Latrell Sprewell was a shooting guard for many years, thanks to his remarkable skills. During his career, he got slammed with lawsuits on multiple occasions. At one point, he was sued by his partner, while in another case, the bank foreclosed on his yacht because he defaulted on his payments. However, the most notable case he was involved in was a dispute with the NBA and Golden State Warriors. In this case, Sprewell filed a lawsuit against both organizations after he was punished for attacking the Warriors head coach.

Allen Iverson 

Iverson had a long and prosperous career in the NBA, but we can't discuss his history without mentioning some controversial moments. One such moment was when Jamil Blackmon sued him over his nickname "The Answer." According to Blackmon, Iverson promised 25% of the proceeds from every merchandise sold with that nickname. However, Blackmon lost the lawsuit because he could not prove the agreement's authenticity. Iverson was also sued over a bar fight that led to a $260,000 settlement. He had financially rough times but would later rebuild his fortune. 

Ron Artest 

Ron Artest, now known as Metta Sandiford-Artest, is an NBA small forward who launched his career in 1999. In 2019, Metta was sued by Dakdouk, a man Metta's wife had a head-on vehicle collision with that same year. Dakdouk wanted a payout but later dropped the lawsuit. Besides this lawsuit, Metta has also faced a few challenges in the NBA. During the 2004-2005 season, he was suspended by the NBA after fighting with a fan in the middle of a game. The case was taken to court, and he paid for his recklessness. 

Conclusion

These are just a few of the many basketballers who were dragged to court or dragged others to court. In some cases, it caused damage to their reputation, while in other cases, the fallout was minimal.

Pro basketball provides much entertainment to those watching, but it can also be physically challenging to the players. The rigorous training required to stay in prime shape and release explosive bursts of energy on the court is no small feat. Players get injured on the court every season, some more devastating than others. This article will focus on the worst basketball injuries in recent history.

Gordon Hayward's Broken Leg

On October 17, 2017, Gordon Hayward, a power forward, was scheduled to start his debut game with his new team, the Boston Celtics. The game was against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Hayward was just five minutes into the game when he suffered a devastating ankle injury after a failed dunk. He didn't land in a natural position, and this caused his ankle to break into two on live television. Hayward's season ended after that injury for obvious reasons, but he made a miraculous recovery and returned to the court during the subsequent season in 2018. Unfortunately, Hayward couldn't use personal injury attorneys in Ohio to sue anybody since the injury wasn't anyone's fault.

Shaun Livingston's Knee Injury

Let's take a trip down memory lane to Shaun Livingston's injury in 2007. Livingston suffered the most horrific injury of his career, which left almost every bone in his knee damaged. The injury happened while he was with the Los Angeles Clippers, playing a game against the Charlotte Bobcats. His knee dislocated after he attempted but failed a layup maneuver and landed awkwardly. He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors considered amputating his leg from the knee to save his life. Thankfully, they saved his leg, and he returned to the court after eight months of rehabilitation. Livingston went on to have a lucrative career until he finally retired in 2019. 

Paul George's Broken Leg

During a summer scrimmage in Las Vegas, Paul George, a small forward who was playing for the Indiana Pacers, broke his leg in the most horrific way possible. It happened in 2014 when George slid into the base of the basketball court after he fell while running. The injury was an open fracture, which means the leg snapped in two, and the broken bone was exposed for everyone to see. People in the court were shocked by the gruesome nature of the injury. Fortunately, the doctors could correct the damage, and George could return to the court. Despite the injury, George returned for the final game of that same season after rehabilitation.

Isaiah Thomas's Hip Injury

The final injury on this list is the hip injury Isaiah Thomas, a point guard for the Boston Celtics, suffered during a game in 2017. It was the last game of the Eastern Conference. Remember that he initially injured his hip after colliding with another player during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier in the season. Instead of sitting out for full recovery, he continued the season until the finals, worsening his condition. While other players on this list were able to rebuild their careers after injuries, Thomas's case was more complicated. The Boston Celtics traded him off to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and while he continued to play, he never regained his original form or popularity.

Conclusion

These are just a few of hundreds of players who suffered severe injuries on the field. There have been many other cases over the years.

American footballers are super athletes with fans across the globe. These professionals spend years of their lives training and honing their skills to meet the demands of the sports. While most of them retire joyfully and honorably, some throw their careers away by getting into trouble with the law. There have been many terrible cases over the years, but we will focus on four athletes who single-handedly ruined their careers.

O.J. Simpson 

Every criminal lawyer Indianapolis knows the bizarre case of O.J. Simpson. The infamous man was a talented professional footballer. He was a running back who got Hall of Fame recognition due to his impressive skills. However, his life drastically changed in 1994 when he faced accusations of killing his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. During the trial, the prosecutors failed to establish his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, leading to his acquittal.

Following his acquittal, he penned the book If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer. He detailed the murders of his ex-wife and her friend but made it seem like a hypocritical situation. O.J. Simpson eventually spent nine years in prison for armed robbery until his release in 2017. 

Rae Carruth

From 1997 to 1999, Rae Carruth was a rising star in American football with Hall of Fame Potential. The wide receiver was one of the best talents of his time when he was playing with the Carolina Panthers. He secured the All-American honors in 1996 after playing professionally for one year. However, his career came to a dramatic end when Carruth paid a hitman to kill Cherica Adams, his pregnant girlfriend, over a domestic dispute. 

The hitman, Van Brett Watkins, broke into the house of Cherica Adams and shot her four times. Among other charges, the court convicted Rae Carruth of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. 2018 saw his release after serving eighteen years in prison.

Aaron Hernandez 

Aaron Hernandez is another talented footballer who sacrificed his life. The NFL drafted this gifted athlete in 2010 after he played college football from 2007 to 2009. Unfortunately, Hernandez's life took a tragic turn when he was convicted of killing Odin Lloyd, his close friend, in 2013. In 2017, he was found guilty of the murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, throwing his talent and life away. Unable to live with the shame of what he did, Hernandez took his own life while serving his sentence.

Michael Vick

The last athlete on our list wasn't just careless and incredibly cruel. Michael Vick, the star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons in 2006, faced serious career damage when he was exposed for having a dog fighting ring. Vick was charged with animal cruelty and other crimes related to the activities of the ring. Despite his conviction, Vick only completed 18 months of his 23-month sentence. Following his conviction, the NFL suspended Vick for two years, and the Atlanta Falcons dropped him. After his release, he eventually joined another team, but the stain of his crimes ruined his reputation forever.

Conclusion

Being good at the job doesn't always mean you are a good person or above mistakes. The professionals on this list put themselves in difficult positions and threw their lives away despite their incredible talents.