Sports season for a few popular sports is quickly approaching! Fall sports include football,
soccer, volleyball, and field hockey. All of these sports have the potential to hurt your student athlete’s smile without a mouthguard!
Although picking up a mouthguard next time you’re at the store might seem tempting, going with a custom mouthguard will offer your child the full amount of protection they need to prevent dental emergencies with their smile. Here’s why you should never neglect to get a custom mouthguard for your student athlete!
Why Custom Mouthguards Are Better
Custom mouthguards are made to fit your child’s unique smile. Store-bought mouthguards offer a very minimal level of protection, as they’re not made to fully protect each and every one of your child’s teeth or their gum tissue.
Store-bought mouthguards tend to be too large and bulky, which can inhibit your child’s breathing during sports and may even discourage them from wearing the mouthguard. With customized mouthguards, you give your child their best chance to minimize an accident or damaged teeth or gums.
In fact, some tentative research even shows that custom mouthguards may help reduce the rate and severity of concussions in sports, as they help absorb the impact from a hit or fall [1]. Personalize Your Protection
Your student athlete should be required to wear a mouthguard, but may not want to wear one, especially if you have an over-the-counter mouthguard that’s uncomfortable and doesn’t quite fit.
When you opt for a custom mouthguard, your dentist will take impressions of your child’s teeth to create an exact fit with their new mouthguard. Some dentists offer even more
personalization for your child’s mouthguard, allowing them to choose colors, designs, and logos to print onto the mouthguard.
These fun and unique design features can increase the chances that your child will wear the mouthguard during their favorite sport!
Where to Find a Custom Mouthguard
Most dental practices offer services to make a custom mouthguard for your child’s smile. You can ask your local dentist about their custom mouthguard solutions to fully protect your student’s smile from accidents or injuries during sports.
Custom mouthguards are considered to be superior forms of protection when it comes to protecting oral health and jaw injuries [2]. To help your teen or child prevent dental emergencies that could include a knocked-out tooth, loose teeth, cut gums, or chipped or fractured teeth, go custom!
Sources:
1. https://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Science%20and%20Research/Files/patient_69.ashx
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2987604/