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/

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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!

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However, even wearing a mouthguard during non-contact sports such as soccer, basketball, and
baseball can help prevent injuries. Any child who plays a sport—regardless of age—should wear
a mouthguard. But why?

Injuries Can Happen During Any Sport

Accidents can happen anywhere, especially when your child is involved in a sport. Sports
injuries to the face, jaw, or mouth can cause major damage, from tooth loss to cut gums.

Even if your child just loses a baby tooth, losing baby teeth prematurely will impact your child’s
permanent teeth. Baby teeth are there to help guide adult teeth into position, so without this
important marker, your child may need to have orthodontia later on.

A mouthguard helps absorb the impact of the blow to the face or jaw, reducing the chances
that your child’s teeth will suffer the consequences. In fact, recent research suggests that
mouthguards may help prevent concussions during sports!

Mouthguards for Children of All Ages

Children of any age can be sized for a mouthguard. Many children start playing sports young, so
dentists can make custom mouthguards for children of all ages and sizes.

Although store-bought mouthguards are cheaper, they tend to be uncomfortable and don’t
provide full protection. A custom mouthguard from your dentist is your best choice and will
provide complete protection for your little one’s smile.

Mouthguards aren’t just for kids with braces—any child can benefit from wearing one when
playing sports!

How to Get Your Child to Wear Their Mouthguard

Not all children are keen on wearing mouthguards. Some may be too young to fully understand
why the mouthguard is necessary and attempt to go without it. Fortunately, there are several
ways to get your child to wear their mouthguard.

 Get their favorite color. Your child will love their custom colored mouthguard!

 Make it fun. You can get sparkly mouthguards or mouthguards with a unique logo or
design to customize it for your child.

 Flavored mouthguards. Some dentists offer the option for mouthguards to come with a
flavor, which may encourage your child to wear it during their sport.

 Incentives. If all else fails, offer your child an incentive, such as choosing a prize after
every game they wear their mouthguard.

You can and should explain to your child why the mouthguard is important for their smile, even
if they’re a bit young to fully understand. You can explain that a mouthguard is just as
important as their uniform, knee pads, shin guards, and other protective gear. You can also tell
them that a mouthguard is just another way of taking care of your smile, just like brushing and
flossing.

If your child is playing a sport, especially a contact sport, a mouthguard should be an essential
part of their uniform during games and practices. Protecting your child’s teeth—even if they’re
baby teeth—is going to help their smile remain healthy and secure for life!

The post At What Age Should My Child Wear a Mouthguard During Sports? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

However, there are few sports that exist without the risk for injury. Even sports deemed to be relatively safe such as soccer and volleyball can cause injury to your smile.

So what can you do to prevent teeth damage while playing sports? Here are your top picks for protection.

Custom Mouthguards

Mouthguards are the number one way to protect your teeth during sports. Although there are many mouthguards available over the counter, your best bet for optimal protection will be a custom mouthguard. Custom mouthguards are made at your dentist office specifically for your smile. This means there’s minimal room for harm because every tooth is protected.

Mouthguards are required in many children’s sports and are recommended for sports such as basketball, hockey, football, lacrosse, softball, volleyball, wresting, and boxing. Never forgo a mouthguard during contact sports—it could save your smile by absorbing the impact and protecting your teeth!

Wear a Helmet

Helmets are required for some sports and recommended during others. Although designed to protect your head, helmets do the job of protecting your smile in the event of a head injury. Whether it’s a few knocked-out teeth or a broken jaw, helmets are absolutely worth the investment for the following sports:

Rugby
Horseback riding
Skateboarding
Sledding or skiing
Football
Baseball
Bicycling

Wearing a helmet during these sports can protect your smile in the event that injury occurs!

Healthy Teeth Are Strong Teeth

Teeth that are healthy and strong will naturally be more resistant to injury than those that are weak from decay or gum disease. Getting regular checkups with your dentist can ensure that your teeth are strong and healthy.

Your dentist can also fit you for a custom mouthguard during your appointment. It’s always important to protect your smile when it comes to sports—both on and off the field!

Keep an Emergency Kit

Preventing injuries to your teeth is advisable but in some cases, accidents still happen and teeth can still be injured. It’s wise to keep an emergency kit with you for this reason. In your emergency kit, you should have the names and numbers of nearby dentists who may be able to see you for an emergency visit. If they cannot, go to your local emergency room.

You can also keep:

Cotton absorbers such as cotton balls and gauze
A cold compress that can be activated on site
Alcohol wipes to clean the site
Ibuprofen for pain
A container for a knocked-out tooth

Make sure to talk with your dentist before doing anything to the site beyond controlling the bleeding!

Tooth injuries during sports can be as minor as a chipped tooth or as severe as a broken jaw. Preventing injuries is the best way to stop them—but when an accident happens, be prepared. Always wear a mouthguard or a helmet as appropriate for your sport, keep your smile healthy, and have an emergency kit on hand!

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Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening can help your tooth return to its original color, but you shouldn’t start whitening your teeth without first getting the tooth evaluated by your dentist. This is because the inner pulp of your tooth may actually be dead and need to be removed. What this means is that you’ll need a root canal. During your visit, your dentist can perform some tests on your tooth to determine if the root is still alive. If it is, your dentist might suggest waiting another few weeks or months to see if the color comes back on its own. If your tooth continues to be dark or become darker, you can then talk with your dentist about getting a professional whitening done to help restore your appearance.

Root Canal

If the root of your tooth is dead, removing the affected pulp that’s been stained may help reverse the darkening of your tooth. This is because removing the stained area inside your tooth will help the tooth naturally become whiter. However, you’ll only need a root canal if your tooth is actually dead. Any inner pulp that’s dead or infected should be removed by an experienced dentist or in some cases, an endodontist (a dentist who specializes in root canals). Your tooth may die after the injury and require a root canal before any whitening can be done. Fortunately, whitening may not even be necessary once the affected tooth is successfully treated with a root canal!

Crown or Veneer

If your tooth is still alive but it doesn’t return to its normal color in six months, a crown or veneer may be needed to help restore your tooth’s color. Porcelain or ceramic crowns and veneers can help cover your tooth and normalize its appearance. After you receive either a crown or veneer, your tooth will be indistinguishable from the other teeth in your mouth. You may not need any cosmetic dentistry done if a root canal or whitening can be done in its place.

Talk with your dentist about what your treatment options are for an injured tooth that’s suddenly turned gray. A simple whitening could help your darkened tooth, or maybe a root canal is needed to relieve any infection and restore your tooth’s color. Regardless of how your tooth got injured, trust a professional dentist to help you get your smile back!

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While watching your favorite team, of course your smile is one of the last things on your mind. Fortunately for sports fans everywhere, there are plenty of snacks that are actually good for your teeth. The following snack ideas are some of the best foods for your teeth on game day, so munch on!

Raw Veggies with Hummus

Whether you make your own hummus or pick up some at the store, this popular dip pairs great with raw vegetables to make a healthy Super Bowl snack. Hummus is made from chickpeas which are a good source of folic acid. Folic acid not only combats gum inflammation, but also makes teeth more resistant to dental plaque.

Raw crunchy vegetables like carrots, celery, peppers, and cucumbers make great additions to your hummus plate. These vegetables also help clean your teeth, as their crunchiness can actually “scrub” plaque away while you’re eating!

Seven-Layer Dip

Who doesn’t love seven-layer dip? Swapping out sour cream for plain Greek yogurt can provide calcium and probiotics for a brilliant smile. Although the tomatoes in this dish are acidic, the cheese helps to create a more neutral environment. Peppers like jalapeño and citrus fruits such as lime are high in vitamin C, which can help reduce inflammation in the mouth. Eating this dip with vegetables has even more benefits. Borrow some veggies from the hummus tray rather than reaching for chips for a stellar smile!

Meat and Cheese Tray

The classic meat and cheese tray contains a variety of meats and cheeses to be a heartier snack during the game. The cheese is what can really help your smile, as the calcium and protein in these tasty wedges of goodness can strengthen teeth and make them more resistant to decay.

Although crackers aren’t the best choice for teeth, eating cheese and crackers on game day is fine as long as you drink water. Softer crackers can often stick to teeth and encourage bacteria growth, so sip away!

Fruit Salad

Making a fruit salad for a sports gathering not only provides a healthier dish for people watching their weight, but also gives people with dietary restrictions a safe zone to enjoy nourishing fruits. This easy-to- make dish helps your smile too!

Fruits such as apples can help decrease plaque and promote fresh breath by increasing saliva production. Other fruits like oranges and kiwi are vitamin C powerhouses, which promote excellent gum health. Enjoy a bowl of fruit salad during the game for gum and teeth health.

Sitting back and watching sports is a great way to spend time with family and friends. During this fun time, you can choose snacks that’ll promote excellent oral health. Foods like cheeses (yes, nachos count!), raw vegetables, hummus, and fruit can promote a healthy smile during game time. Happy watching!

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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!

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Reduce Injury Risk – A custom mouthguard is less likely to bruise or cut your face when you take a hit than a store-bought guard. Custom guards also reduce the risk of jaw dislocation, tooth loss, and neck injury. The guard acts as a buffer during impact so that the teeth do not puncture soft tissue or each other. The force of a hit is redistributed to cause minimal or no damage to the teeth and jaw. Perhaps one of the most important functions of the guard is to protect against concussions that can cause brain damage and potentially end an athlete’s career. The guard does this by absorbing much of the shock caused by the jaws being slammed together.

Designed for Comfort – Custom guards feel better than generic guards. This increases the likelihood that a player will actually wear the guard and be protected from injury. This is vital because one study showed players without a mouthpiece are 60 times as likely to suffer an injury to their teeth.

Improve Performance – Custom guards do not affect speech or breathing like a generic guard might. This allows an athlete to communicate effectively with teammates. It also allows the athlete to get the oxygen needed for optimal gameplay. Breathing properly allows a player to perform better and last longer.

The benefits of a custom fit sports mouthguard are clear. You get better protection than you would from a store bought mouthguard. The custom fit also encourages use of the guard because it is comfortable and does not affect gameplay like a poor fitting guard might.

Because of the dangers of playing without a guard, we encourage all athletes to have a custom fit guard made as soon as possible. If you are currently using a store bought guard, it is time to up your game and give your neck, head, and mouth more protection by upgrading to custom fit.

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Custom Dental Mouthguards

Custom dental mouthguards are your best protection against injury. This is because they are specifically made to fit your mouth. This includes shape and size in addition to any unique features of your mouth that will need to be taken into account with a mouthguard. A custom dental mouthguard can be constructed at your regular dentist’s office. Although this option is the more expensive option when it comes to mouthguards, the protection that it offers you or your child during sports is unparalleled. No other mouthguard will offer you the same level of protection that your unique mouth needs than a custom dental mouthguard.

ArmourBite Mouthguard

You may also have the option get an ArmourBite mouthguard at your dentist office. These mouthguards, while offered by Under Armour, will be customized at your dentist office. These mouthguards are created by having your dentist take an impression of your teeth, which is then sent to the lab to create your unique ArmourBite guard. You’ll get to choose your color and you can even get your name and number printed on the guard so that if you ever misplace it, it can be returned to you. These mouthguards help protect against teeth grinding during competitions and impacts to your jaw in contact sports. ArmourBite mouthguards come with a one-year warranty and take only ten days to be delivered to your door from the lab.

Benefits of Custom Mouthguards

The benefits of custom-fitted mouthguards include:

– Better quality material molded to fit only your mouth.

– The size will be perfect—no bulky store-bought mouthguards that make speaking and breathing difficult.

– Proper, custom fit effectively separates the upper and lower jaw so that any impact will be properly absorbed by the mouthguard instead of going to the teeth or head.

– Prevents teeth grinding.

– Custom-fitted mouthguards effectively reduce the risk of injury from concussions, jaw fractures, tooth loss, bruising to the face, and stress on the neck.

– Mouthguards that are custom are much more comfortable than standard ones, making you more likely to wear it.

When sports season comes in this fall, don’t let yourself or your children go unprotected—athletes can’t afford to ignore their oral health. Prevent injury, tooth fracture and loss, and perform optimally at your sport with a custom mouthguard this season.

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When you are participating in physical activity, your face is at extreme risk. Helmets protect your head, but your teeth and mouth are vulnerable if you are not wearing a mouthguard. The use of mouthguards prevents injuries that can be painful, expensive to treat or disfiguring. Dentists and oral surgeons routinely perform procedures to repair damage to the teeth, mouth and jaws of athletes. In sports dentistry, the focus of public awareness is on prevention, so that athletes can avoid costly dental work and painful injuries.

There are several different types of mouthguards available. You can purchase a standard type in stores that are designed to fit average mouths. These are often not comfortable and do not fit well, and a mouthguard that does not fit well does not provide proper protection against injuries.

“Boil and bite” mouthguards are supposed to fit you correctly after you customize them to your mouth by heating them in boiling water and then biting into them to make them fit around your teeth. This type of mouthguard may fit better than a standard type, but the best fitting and most protective mouthguard you can get comes from a dentist. A mouthguard that is custom fit to you by a dentist will fit perfectly and provide the best protection from injury during participation in athletic activities.

When you own a mouthguard, it is important to clean it regularly and store it in a protective case when you’re not wearing it. When a mouthguard gets damaged or torn, it offers less protection and can even hurt your mouth. Cheaper mouthguards are more susceptible to damage and may need to be replaced frequently.

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