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Watch Your Mouth! Wear An Athletic Mouthguard!

Mar 24, 2017
Watch Your Mouth! Wear An Athletic Mouthguard!
Children who do not wear athletic mouthguards are 60 times more likely to experience a dental injury than those who do. That is based on a study conducted by the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation.

Children who do not wear athletic mouthguards are 60 times more likely to experience a dental injury than those who do.

That is based on a study conducted by the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation. The foundation also estimated that 3 million teeth would be knocked out during sporting events in a single year.

Meanwhile, 67 percent of parents reported that their children do not wear mouthguards while practicing or playing sports, according to a survey by the American Association of Orthodontists.

That’s why we would much rather encourage your family to play safe by wearing a custom-fitted athletic mouthguard likes the ones we can make at our dentist office in Reading, MA.

Protecting your teeth is important. That’s why we encourage your budding superstar athletes to brush, floss, get regular dental cleanings, and wear mouthguards during practices and competitions.

To learn how First Dental Associates can help protect your family’s smiles, call [phone] or contact us online.

Protect Your Smile At Any Age

Statistically, children between the ages of 7 and 11 are the most likely to suffer sports-related dental injuries.

Realistically, everyone who participates in high-impact sports or recreation should be wearing a mouthguard during those activities. You may (or may not) be surprised to learn that bicycling and baseball are among the sports that cause the highest numbers of oral injuries.

You don’t have to be a professional to protect your smile. An accidental elbow to the jaw can cause as much damage in a pickup game with your friends as in an NBA game.

We don’t want your child to suffer a broken or lost tooth, and a custom-fitted mouthguard offers the best protection against those kinds of injuries.

Just like you should wear a seatbelt while driving or riding in a car, you should wear a mouthguard while playing sports. A mouthguard won’t stop a collision from occurring, but it can make a big difference in how much damage your child receives.

Mouthguards Are Strongly Recommended For High-Impact Sports

In some sports, mouthguards have been mandatory for decades. Football players and wrestlers are required to protect their teeth in order to compete.

This is a far cry from all the sports in which mouthguards are recommended. Basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, baseball, and skateboarding are just a few of the many examples we could name. 

Mouthguards should be worn during any sports that involve flying objects, jumping, contact, or frequent changes in direction and speed are common.

But don’t take our word for it. Athletic mouthguards are recommended by the following organizations:

▸ American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

▸ American Dental Association

▸ Academy for Sports Dentistry

▸ American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons▸

▸ and American Association of Orthodontists

Is A Custom-Fitted Mouthguard Necessary?

That depends on how much protection you want to provide. The ADA and the AAPD both recommend custom-fitted athletic mouthguards for a few reasons.

First, they are the most effective at preventing serious oral injuries. Second, they are smaller, which makes them more comfortable to wear. Third, custom-fitted mouthguards also are less likely to interfere with breathing and communication with coaches and teammates while they are being worn.

Are they more expensive than the boil-and-bite mouthguards you can get at a sporting goods store? Yes, but the difference is minimal when compared with the cost of fixing a broken tooth or replacing a missing one.

With that in mind, a boil-and-bite mouthguard is a better option than a stock mouthguard. While both can be bulky, the boil-and-bite offers limited customization.

Your Child’s Smile Is Worth It

Nowadays, some kids are playing sports year-round. That means anytime is a good time to get a custom-fitted mouthguard.

And the sooner your visit our dentist office in Reading, MA, the sooner we can make one for all people you hold most precious in your life.

We would much rather see you tomorrow to get fitted for an athletic mouthguard instead of a month from now with a broken tooth.

To make your appointment, contact First Dental Associates one of two ways. You can call us at 781-202-5612. You also can request an appointment by filling out our online contact form.