Mouthguards save smiles. They also protect jaws from impact injuries during sports. Learn dental tips about how to protect your child’s smile while playing sports.
Your child’s oral health is a group effort. A visit to your Li’l Sunshine Smiles dental home can help you learn more about preventive treatments to keep smiles bright, white, and safe. Call to schedule an appointment at 813-576-0200!
A mouthguard keeps teeth snugly in place and reduces the risk of broken, chipped or knocked out teeth. The American Dental Association recommends that athletes wear mouthguards during sports to prevent serious injuries like concussions. Without a mouthguard, it is possible for an athlete to damage their upper front teeth while playing contact sports such as football or hockey because these two types of games involve high impact collisions between players. Mouthguards also protect against lacerations inside your child’s lip or cheek area if they are involved in any type of fisticuffs with another player on the field.
Athletes should always wear specially designed mouthguards during game play because other protective equipment does not provide adequate protection against trauma incidents caused by collision impacts.
Mouthguards are not just for athletes. Everyone who participates in group sports activities should wear mouthguards because they protect the entire mouth, not just teeth. Mouthguards also keep tongues positioned properly during an incident that involves a blow to the jaw or face area. A mouthguard will prevent your child from biting their tongue if it is knocked against their upper front teeth when an accident occurs unexpectedly on the court or field of play.
There are a couple different types of mouthguards for you to choose from including:
The best mouthguards for sports should be durable and comfortable to wear. They also need to fit well, provide the protection you need at a price that is reasonable.
Custom made mouthguards are often better than over-the-counter guards because they can more accurately contour your teeth as well as form a tight seal around them.
It’s important to wear a mouthguard when participating in any sports activity where the risk for injury is high, such as football or basketball. Wearing a mouthguard can prevent injuries from occurring which may affect your speaking and chewing abilities. Consult with Dr. Botero before investing in a mouthguard so that you make the best decision.
Some people think wearing mouthguards makes them look “dorky” but this popular misconception about dental protection has changed drastically over time thanks to advancements in athletic fashion and design technology improvements within the industry of mouthguard production . Modern mouthguards come in many different colors shapes and sizes while still providing mouth protection for all athletes. Mouthguards are available in sport team colors so they can be worn proudly by anyone participating in a game or match, not just the kids.
Mouthguard companies have sponsored many different types of mouth guard promotions during televised sports games over recent years to help raise public awareness about mouth guard benefits and how wearing them while playing any type of competitive physical activity is essential to improving dental health and safety nationwide. Serious injuries like broken jaws and teeth loss could easily happen without proper mouth protection equipment being used on the field or court when an accident occurs unexpectedly due to player contact with another competitor.
Our Li’l Sunshine Smiles dental team is committed to keeping your child’s teeth safe! Call to schedule a mouthguard appointment at 813-576-0200!