Did you know? According to the American Dental Association, one third of all dental injuries are sports related and more than 200,000 oral injuries are prevented by wearing a mouth guard.
A sport mouth guard is worn over a child’s teeth while playing a contact sport (football, hockey, basketball, soccer, etc) and non-contact sports (skateboarding, bike riding, rollerblading, etc) to help prevent oral injuries to the teeth, mouth, cheeks, tongue and jaw. Different types of dental injuries that can occur without the use of a mouth guard are chipped, broken, and knocked out teeth. Mouth guards can also help protect children’s lips, tongue, and face.
There are different types of mouth guards: pre-formed mouth guards, boil and bite mouth guards, and custom for mouth guards. Pre-formed mouth guards can be found at a sporting goods store and come ready to wear. Boil and bite mouth guards may also be purchased at a sporting goods store but require a few more at home steps. Boil and bite mouth guards require material to be softened in hot water and then placed in child’s mouth to shape for a little more custom fit. A custom fit mouth guard is made in a dental office using special materials and provides the most comfort and protection for a child.
It is highly recommend for children playing contact and non-contact sports to wear a mouth guard to help prevent oral injuries. Children with braces are also encouraged to wear mouth guards as well to help prevent damage to the brackets and reduce damage to their soft tissue from the impact.
Want to know if your child should be wearing a mouth sports guard? Ask us next time you are in the office! 🙂
