How To Choose The Right Mouthguard For Your Kid

By Author: Monica Quinn
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Sporting accidents are one of the most common causes of dental injuries among children. About 50 percent of all sporting injuries experienced by kids aged between six to 17 years involve their teeth.

However, wearing a mouthguard can help significantly lessen the chances of injury.

The use of a custom-fitted mouthguard absorbs and spreads the impact of a blow to the face, which may otherwise cause an injury to the mouth or jaw. By acting as a shock absorber, a mouth guard can also help reduce the impact of head knocks and concussions.

Dental injuries often result in time off school or work to recover. They can be painful and disfiguring and may involve lengthy, complex, and costly dental treatment. Without a doubt, the cost of an injury to the teeth or jaw far exceeds the cost of a mouthguard.

Choosing the right type of mouthguard
Self-fitted, over-the-counter ‘boil and bite’ mouthguards are inadequate and, for effective protection, a custom mouth guard for kids fitted by a dental professional is essential.

An ...
... effective mouthguard needs to be custom-made so that it fits snugly and comfortably. This is so it affords the protection needed, but also to ensure that the person is happy to wear it, able to remain focused on the game at hand, and able to talk to their teammates.

Tips on how to choose the best sports mouthguard for your child:
- For football, lacrosse, and other high-contact sports, be sure the guard adequately protects both the top and lower teeth. For low-contact sports, a guard that merely covers the upper teeth may be appropriate.
- Because of the shape of the baby teeth and spaces where baby teeth have fallen out and the permanent teeth haven't yet grown in, mouthguards will likely not fit as firmly for younger children, i.e. those with a mix of permanent and baby teeth. In this age group, you may need to try a few different guards before finding one that feels comfortable and remains in place.
- Athletes who have braces are not exempt from using a mouthguard! The most crucial aspect is to select a protection that does not require boiling. If you use a boil-and-fit guard with braces, the guard will most likely become stuck in the braces! Choose options that state, "will work with braces." Most mouthguards are available without a prescription, but your orthodontist may also provide bespoke mouthguards.
- Finally, seek the manufacturer's dental insurance coverage. This is essentially a promise that the guard will work or they will pay for the necessary dental repair. Please read the fine print!

When should mouthguards be worn?
Most players realize and accept that mouthguards must be worn on game day. However, because many drills have the potential to cause harm, mouthguards should be worn during training as well. This method also helps children to become accustomed to wearing the guard in advance of game day.

Are mouthguards only for contact sports?
While we widely accept the need for mouthguards to be worn during contact sports, children should be wearing mouthguards even for sports that aren’t traditionally classed as contact.

For example, the dentist may have to reinsert two front teeth on a soccer player who inadvertently came down from a header onto an opposing player’s knee. Even basketball players can chip their teeth from impacting another player’s elbow. Or children in skateboard parks without mouthguards may fall and injure their teeth.

How do I get my child to wear a mouthguard?
Some kids may be anxious about "what's cool and what's not". However, it does not take much for an accident to occur, which can lead to a lifetime of regret.

It is critical to encourage your youngster to have a positive attitude toward their mouthguard. The following suggestions may assist in overcoming any reluctance and educating your youngster on the significance of using a mouthguard.

- Personalise: Dentists can provide colored or multi-colored mouthguards; let your youngster choose their favorite colors or have it customized to the colors of their favorite team or sporting club! Giving kids the option might give them a sense of ownership.
- Educate: It is best to gently educate your children on the necessity of using a mouthguard. Explain the consequences of not using a mouthguard - a quick Google or YouTube search may be useful.
- Inspire: Show instances of outstanding players in your child's chosen sport using mouthguards so that they can see the behavior being modeled.
- Reward: It is both honorable and prudent to encourage safe practices when participating in sports. Giving your youngster a prize for wearing a mouthguard encourages them to do so in the future.
- Amuse: Mouthguards with bubble gum flavors are now available; the taste may even make your child forget they're wearing it!

If your child plays sports regularly, they must have and wear a good quality mouthguard. In the long run, this will protect their teeth, potentially saving them many uncomfortable (and probably pricey!) trips to the dentist.

Greetings, my name is Monica. I graduated from New York Medical College and work as a nurse in Queens Hospital at the moment. The thing I love the most is morning jogging, because it is a wonderful way to keep myself in tonus. I like to communicate with people who care about their health. I became a vegetarian five years ago. Now my daily menu consists mainly of vegetables, fruits and different cheeses. I am a member of water polo team and I love gardening. I like to see how huge flowers grow out of the tiny petal, it dazzles me because I love spending my time outdoors. My goal is to visit all the USA parks, and then all over the world)