By Kara Wilkins

Pay attention, Razorback fans! We know you live and breathe basketball, and we want you to keep your smile healthy—on and off the court. But before you channel your inner Fayetteville fanatic, keep these facts in mind:

• More than 5 million teeth are lost or damaged each year due to sports injury or trauma.

• Men's basketball has the highest rate of dental injury out of all sports. These injuries include broken teeth and jaws, as well as damage to the lips, tongue and neck.

• The NCAA only requires 4 sports to wear a mouthguard (not including basketball), but the American Dental Association recommends mouthguards for 29 collegiate sports.

Protect your championship smile with a mouthguard.

Mouthguards are designed to help absorb the shock of a facial injury, reducing mouth trauma. Your ideal mouthguard should:

• Fit properly;

• Stay firmly in place;

• Be easy to clean; and

• Allow you to breathe and talk.

Talk to your dentist about finding the perfect mouthguard for you or your aspiring NCAA hoop star.