Why Mouthguards Are Important For Kids In Sports

Why Mouthguards Are Important For Kids In Sports

May 16, 2019

One of the prerequisites before sending your kid to a contact sports is to get properly made mouth guards for the child. Mouthguards are really important, and as much important as knee pads and helmets. That’s because estimated cases of 3 million dental injuries in the US are reported every year from sports injuries to kids. However with mouthguard protection, an estimated 200000 numbers of prevention of injuries also has been reported by the American Dental Association. Mouthguards not just protect the breaking, shipping and knocking off of teeth but also prevent other facial injuries and even disperse the intensity and blow of an impact on head. That is why the Bloomfield Pediatric Dentistry suggests use of custom mouthguards for every kid in contact sports.

Mouthguards Are Important for Kids in Sports

The Pediatric dentist in Bloomfield suggests custom mouthguards because only a dentist made custom guard can fit properly, make breathing and talking easy, and guards the teeth and face in the exact desired way.

Who Should Wear Mouthguards

Custom made mouthguards are really important in sports like hockey, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, football, baseball, volleyball, basketball, boxing, wrestling, and gymnastics. Kids engaged in all these sports are vulnerable to sports injuries on their face which can knock off their teeth or cause oral bruises. The pediatric dentist 06002 suggests parents to get mouthguards for their kids aged between 8 and 12.

Can My Child Wear a Mouthguard with Braces?

Yes a child can wear mouthguards with braces, and actually should wear one. That’s because the brackets in braces can be saved from the impact of a blow on face when a mouthguard is worn.

Types of mouthguards

Pre-formed guards are available readily in the market, and offers instant protection. But they are not reliable and comfortable. The reason is that, they are found in only one size, and whatever the kid’s oral cavity size is, or jaw shape is, the guard won’t adapt according to it. Therefore the one size fits all style guard, fits oddly in many cases and also makes talking and breathing difficult for many.

Boil and bite mouth guards are the next choice for many because the guard can be boiled or soaked in hot water to soften it and then applied on teeth to adapt to the teeth shape. But they still are not as effective as custom guards.

Custom made mouth guards, which a pediatric dentist near you can make for your child can give the best form of protection and comfort. Although they are comparatively expensive and takes a visit to the dentist to get made, yet they offer complete protection and are fully reliable.

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