Why Your Little Athlete Needs to Wear a Mouthguard

As a parent, you undoubtedly do your best to help your little one stay healthy and safe. While you love to see them running around, being active, and having fun, you don’t like to think about how easily they could get hurt. Just like you wouldn’t send them out to the court or field without a helmet or kneepads, don’t forget to get your little athlete a custom mouthguard from your dentist! While these appliances may be small, they could make all the difference in keeping your child’s precious smile safe and intact. Read on as we go over what you need to know about children’s athletic mouthguards.

Why Are Mouthguards Important?

A mouthguard is a small, u-shaped plastic case that fits over the teeth. It’s relatively common knowledge that they can help protect teeth during sports, but many people don’t realize just how important they are! Mouthguards serve a wide variety of purposes, including:

• Prevent chipped, broken, and knocked-out teeth: Mouthguards shield the teeth from a blow to the face, helping keep them in place and intact.
• Protect upper and lower teeth from each other: A mouthguard also creates a barrier between the upper and lower teeth, keeping them from crashing into each other on impact.
• Minimize risk of dental concussion: Thanks to their shape, a mouthguard can help redistribute the force of an impact, which can potentially prevent a dental concussion or intrusion.
• Shield the soft tissues from injury: A mouthguard can go a tremendously long way in protecting the lips, cheeks, and tongue from getting bitten or cut by the teeth during an impact.
• Reduce the risk of concussion: Some studies show that wearing a mouthguard can lower the risk of developing a concussion during a sports injury.

When Mouthguards Should Be Worn

Only a few organized sports require the use of a mouthguard. In fact, it’s predominantly only required in high school football, lacrosse, and ice hockey. However, studies show that baseball accounts for the majority of dental injuries in children7-12 years old and basketball is responsible for most dental injuries in teenagers between 13 and 17 years old. While it may not be mandatory, dental experts everywhere highly recommend having your child wear a mouthguard during any time they could potentially take a blow to the face, including basketball, gymnastics, handball, martial arts, rollerblading, skateboarding, surfing, softball, and baseball.

The Types of Mouthguards

Generally speaking, there are two types of mouthguards:

• Boil-and-bite mouthguards: These cost-effective mouthguards can be commonly found at pharmacies and athletic stores. While these mouthguards are fitted to the unique shape of the mouth, many experts believe they don’t provide adequate protection. Additionally, these mouthguards are likely to wear down quickly and become uncomfortable.
• Custom-made mouthguards from a dentist: For maximum protection, you should visit your children’s dentist for a custom-made mouthguard. These high-quality appliances will be carefully crafted to ensure your child’s smile is as safe and comfortable as possible.

About the Practice

New England Kids, Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics is dedicated to helping the growing smiles of Auburn stay happy and healthy. Their team of compassionate and highly trained dentists offers a variety of specialized services designed just for infants, toddlers, children, and teenagers. This includes sports mouthguards, which are 100%-custom made from comfortable, high-quality materials. To learn more about getting a custom mouthguard for your child, they can be contacted online or at (508) 832-6278.