A MOUTH GUARD FOR YOUR CHILD WHILE PLAYING SPORTS?

We know that it is important for professional athletes to wear a mouth guard during sports, but how often do you recognize the need for your child to wear one during their school sports?

photo of hygienist, valerie — Valerie
Registered Dental Hygienist
Family Dentist Tree

We asked our hygienist, Valerie, a mother of two boys in hockey to help us understand what options are out there.

Mouth guards help to protect not only your teeth but your jaw, cheeks, tongue and lips. Although they are not always required, the American Dental Association recommends wearing a mouth guard for the following sports:

Acrobatics
Basketball
Boxing
Field Hockey
Football
Gymnastics
Handball
Ice Hockey
Lacrosse
Martial Arts
Racquetball
Roller Hockey
Rugby
Shot Putting
Skateboarding
Skiing
Skydiving
Soccer
Squash
Surfing
Colleyballl
Water Polo
Weight Lifting
Wrestling

picture of custom mouth guard — Ask about a custom mouth guard at your next visit!

It is important to have a well-filling mouth guard. It shouldn’t be too bulky or make it difficult to breath or talk. There are many options for mouth guards, but our first choice would be a custom fit guard that we make here at Family Dentist Tree. This guard is individually designed to fit a mold of your teeth allowing for the best protection and most comfortable fit.

Another option would be a boil and bite guard. This type of guard can be less expensive and can be done at home by boiling and biting into the guard. These are often times more bulky than a custom guard, but are still effective.

The last option is a stock mouth guard that comes ready to wear. Although these are inexpensive, they do not provide a good fit and are not recommended as a mouth guard option. These also tend to be the most uncomfortable mouth guards.

The bottom line when it comes to mouth guards while playing sports is that it’s important to wear one to protect your teeth and mouth. An athlete is sixty times more likely to damage their teeth when not wearing a mouth guard!

Sources:

Mouthguards. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://www.ada.org/en/member-center/oral-health-topics/mouthguards

Mouthguards. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/m/mouthguards