When it comes to mouthguards, you have a couple of options: the first is to buy one at the store, which tends to be relatively inexpensive and is easy enough to pick up. Your second option is to get a custom-fit mouthguard at your dentist’s office.

Why would you opt for a custom-fit mouthguard from your dentist? Here’s why you should absolutely invest in a custom mouthguard for your child!

Better Protect Your Child

Custom mouthguards offer an advanced level of protection that store-bought ones just can’t provide. A custom-fit mouthguard is made to specifically fit your child’s mouth and to protect each tooth. Generic, store-bought mouthguards are usually one-size-fits-all, and no two people have the same mouth!

Store-bought mouthguards are also less durable and tend to wear out quickly, meaning you’ll need to replace them more often in order to keep protecting your child’s smile. With custom-fit mouthguards from your dentist, the strength and durability of these quality mouthguards will protect your child’s smile for seasons to come.

Custom-Fit Means More Comfort

Since custom-fit mouthguards are made just for your child, they fit perfectly and tend to be much more comfortable than generic mouthguards. Often bulky and too big, store-bought mouthguards can be uncomfortable at best and painful at worst, making it less likely that your child will actually wear it during sports.

Even worse, these mouthguards have the potential to hinder your child’s breathing. When you invest in a custom-fit mouthguard, your child can breathe properly, eliminate distraction during sports, and fully protect your child’s smile.

Prevent Injury to the Head and Mouth

Custom-fit mouthguards provide the best protection for your child. They are made to properly absorb the impact of a blow to keep your child’s teeth safe. In fact, some research shows that mouthguards may actually be able to prevent concussions by absorbing the blow and preventing your child’s jaw or skull from being injured.

When you consider that a custom-fit mouthguard is your best chance to protect your child’s teeth from injury, it makes sense to make the investment. Often, these mouthguards are more affordable than people think and when you consider dental work or an emergency room visit if your child’s mouth is injured, they seem very affordable indeed!

Are you considering a custom mouthguard for your child’s sport season? You can schedule an appointment with your dentist to discuss your options. When it comes to your child’s smile, you can provide them with the utmost level of protection and keep them comfortable and safe during sports, making the season fun for everyone!

The post Should My Child Wear a Custom-Fit Mouthguard During Sports? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Offer More Oral Protection

That store-bought mouthguard is not made to fit your smile. It was made to fit a variety of smiles, therefore the chances that it will accurately fit yours are slim. Even if you buy what you believe to be the correct size for your mouth, those standard mouthguards still don’t fully protect each and every tooth in your mouth.

Custom mouthguards allow every tooth in your mouth to have optimal protection. They take a minimal amount of time to take molds at your dentist office and they last longer and are made to protect your smile whether for bruxism or contact sports. Why gamble with your smile? When the cheaper mouthguard fails to work, you’ll end up paying to replace your knocked-out or damaged teeth!

Keep Your Child Safe

Standard mouthguards are often either too big or too small for your child’s mouth—they won’t fit just right unless they’re custom-made. If a mouthguard is uncomfortable, your child may choose to not wear the mouthguard or take it out during their sport. Who can blame them? Having an oversized piece of plastic shoved into your mouth doesn’t make for happy sport playing.

Your child may also find it difficult to speak while wearing his or her mouthguard, therefore making it unlikely that they’ll notify their coach if there’s a problem or be able to communicate with their team. If your child wears braces, they especially need optimal protection to keep the braces from cutting their gums in the event that they get hit or fall during contact sports. Ill-fitting mouthguards don’t offer this type of protection!

Increase Performance

You may even have trouble breathing if you buy a standard mouthguard that wasn’t made to fit your mouth. This is alarming for an adult, but even more so for a child. If you or your child use mouthguards for playing sports or bruxism, trying to breathe while having this uncomfortable, bulky guard in your mouth can be difficult.

Not only is this unsafe, but it will also hinder your performance. Your lungs need to take in an adequate amount of oxygen to supply your muscles with while exercising. While sleeping, your body still needs air to breathe and supply your brain with oxygen, as the brain is more active during sleep. Increase performance with custom mouthguards and stay safe while sleeping!

Leave your standard mouthguard on the field—custom mouthguards are a better fit. They provide optimal protection, keep your child safe during sports, and boost your performance by allowing your body to properly breathe. Talk with your dentist about getting a custom mouthguard made today!

The post Why Custom Mouthguards Are a Better Fit appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.