By Aspen Dental
Mouthguards
When you are out school supply shopping don’t forget to include mouthguards on your list for fall sports. And although mouthguards may not be mandatory for all sports; many studies have shown that young athletes who wear mouth guards suffer far fewer dental injuries than those who don’t. Mouth guards are not required for soccer, but studies show that soccer players are more likely to sustain a dental injury than football or hockey players, where mouth guards are required. Even sports with no inherent player contact, like biking and gymnastics introduce the risk of injury from falls and mouth clenching.
The solution is to wear an athletic mouthguard. Before high school football players were required to wear mouthguards and facemasks, 50% of players’ injuries were oral-facial. Now they represent less than 1% of injuries.
There are three types of mouth guards currently available:
- Stock mouth guards are relatively inexpensive and have a pre-formed shape. But since the fit can’t be adjusted, they’re less effective than a fitted option. And sometimes they don’t stay in place, which may cause impediments in breathing and speech.
- Mouth-formed mouth guards can be purchased at many sporting goods stores and can be molded to the individual’s mouth, usually by boiling the mouth guard in hot water to soften the plastic.
- Custom-made mouth guards are considered the best option. Since your dentist makes them from a mold of your teeth, they fit tightly and correctly. Although a custom mouth guard expensive option available, it’s a solid investment when compared with the thousands of dollars in dental work it can take to replace a lost tooth.
As a parent, you go to great lengths to purchase protective equipment including helmets, kneepads, shoulder pads, masks, gloves, shin guards etc. So don’t forget their mouthguard.
We offer custom-made appliances that offer the best possible fit, comfort, protection and are superior to the standard boil and bite mouthguards. Our mouthguards are made from an impression of the teeth. A better fit allows the athlete to breathe better, speak more clearly and most importantly, get the highest level of protection. Let us help you keep the kids on the field and out of the dental chair.
