Are you or your children actively involved in sports that involve contact or the possibility of falling? Do you know that dental injuries are the most common oral facial injury sustained in sports?

Of all injuries, this is the one we most hate to see, because they are so preventable. We specialize in fitting children for high quality mouthpieces to safeguard their teeth. The following are some questions and answers for you concerning protecting your child while playing sports.

When should my child wear a mouthguard?

Mouthguards should be worn while playing any sport that involves contact or the possibility of falling. This includes not just organized sports at school, but also activities with friends. We see just as many injuries from bike riding or playground play as we do from organized sports.

Why are mouthguards important?

Mouthguards hold top priority as sports equipment. They protect not just the teeth, but the lips, cheeks, and tongue. They help protect children from such head and neck injuries as concussions and jaw fractures. Increasingly, organized sports are requiring mouthguards to prevent injury to their athletes. Research shows that most oral injuries occur when athletes are not wearing mouth protection.

When should my child wear a mouthguard?

Whenever he or she is in an activity with a risk of falls or of head contact with other players or equipment. This includes football, baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, skateboarding, even gymnastics. We usually think of football and hockey as the most dangerous to the teeth, but nearly half of sports-related mouth injuries occur in basketball and baseball.

How do I choose a mouthguard for my child?

Any mouthguard works better than no mouthguard. So, choose a mouthguard that your child can wear comfortably. If a mouthguard feels bulky or interferes with speech, it will be left in the locker room.

Why do I need to go to a dentist for a mouthguard when I can buy one at any sporting goods store?

You may be familiar with the mouthguard typically sold at retail type outlets. These are the old "boil and bite" type mouthguards. Boil it in water to soften the material, then bite down on it to form the impression of your teeth. However, you may not know that by using this type of mouthguard, you are getting little or no protection. That's because as you bite down, most of the material between your teeth is displaced (up to 99% of it). And this is where the cushioning is needed most! These type of mouthguards also deteriorate over time, giving you even less protection.

Our mouthguards are all custom created from impressions we take of your child's teeth, and then custom fabricated in a laboratory from multi-laminated materials for maximum protection and comfort.

What are the advantages to a professionally fitted mouthguard?

• First and foremost, a properly fitted mouthguard saves teeth, and dental bills. It can cost as much as $2,000 to repair a broken tooth.
• An exact fit keeps the mouthguard in place at the moment of impact.
• An exact fit makes it easy to talk and breathe with the mouthguard in place. Your child won't fight you over wearing it!
• Its comfortable to wear a custom fitted mouthguard for long periods of time....your child will forget its even in!
• Custom fitted mouthguards can provide a competitive edge, by providing the confidence and safety needed for aggressive competition.
• Custom fitting ensures occlusal forces are balanced, protecting the TMJ from concussion causing impacts.
• Besides protecting teeth, a custom fitted mouthguard can prevent concussions, cerebral hemorrhage, and even death, by separating the jaws and preventing the condyles from being displaced in a superior/posterior direction against the wall of the glenoid fossa.

If you child is actively engaged in any of the sporting activities we have mentioned, they need the protection afforded by a custom fitted mouthpiece. Contact us today to arrange an appointment for fitting.

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