A staggering amount of dental related injuries occur during sports each year. Unfortunately, these accidents aren’t restricted to boxing and football. While it may not be mandatory for your child to wear a mouthguard in his or her sport, it is a wise investment that could save their smile and as well as your wallet. Mouthguards not only help to prevent knocked out teeth, broken teeth and mouth lacerations, but they have also been proven to help prevent concussions.
When it comes to buying your child an athletic mouthguard, you have two primary options. You can find a stock mouthguard or “boil-and-bite” model at your local sporting goods store or you can schedule a short visit with your dentist to get a custom mouthguard. While a store bought mouthguard is certainly better than no mouthguard at all, here’s why it is worth the extra cost to opt for one from your dentist.
Perhaps the most notable advantage of choosing a custom mouthguard as opposed to a stock mouthguard is how much better it fits. A custom mouthguard is fabricated using an exact impression of your child’s teeth. Therefore, it can fit over every groove of their smile and not come up too high on the gums. A better fit mouthguard is one that is also more comfortable, which means it will stay in your child’s mouth and do its job while they are on the playing field. In fact, a custom mouthguard is designed to fit so well that your child should be able to breathe and speak comfortably while wearing it.
You can also expect a custom mouthguard to be more durable than its store-bought counterpart. It is made with high quality materials that are tough enough to withstand the wear and tear of more than one season in sports. With a stock mouthguard, you may find that it begins to deteriorate or lose its form quickly, which limits its ability to protect your child’s teeth and gums.
Because a custom guard offers a better fit as well as increased durability, it is safe to say that it is also more effective. As parents, this is what we want right? The extra investment is worth the peace of mind that you’ve done everything you can to protect your child’s valuable smile as they pursue athletics.
Contact Park South Dentistry today to get fitted for a Custom Athletic Mouthguard today.
