Protect Your Child from Sports Injuries with a Custom Athletic Mouthguard

Of all the injuries that occur to the face during sports activities, dental injuries are the most common, with those participating in sports having a 33-56% chance of sustaining an orofacial injury over the course of their time in sports. But these dental injuries are preventable! Not wearing an athletic mouthguard increases the risk fo dental injury 60 times, which means that having your child wear a custom athletic mouthguard whenever he or she is participating in sports (whether at practice or during a game) can greatly reduce risk of injury. The American Dental Association recommends the use of custom athletic mouthguards during all of the following sports (just to name a few):

Football
Basketball
Hockey
Boxing
Soccer
Gymnastics
Skateboarding
Martial Arts
Bicycling
Volleyball

Custom Athletic Mouthguards Prevent More Than You Think

Sure, custom athletic mouthguards can help prevent tooth loss during a game. But did you know that they can also help prevent more serious injuries as well? Custom athletic mouthguards can help prevent your child or teen from sustaining a concussion, a broken jaw, neck injuries, and a cerebral hemorrhage. Should your child or teen be hit hard, a custom athletic mouthguard can prevent him or her from being knocked unconscious. These intraoral apppliances also help prevent cuts and bruising.

Three Types of Athletic Mouthguards

There are three types of athletic mouthguard: stock, boil and bite, and custom. Both the stock and boil and bite mouthguards can usually be found at a sporting goods store, and these two offer the least amount of protection. A stock mouthguard is a one-size-fits-all mouthguard that requires constant biting to hold in place. A boil and bite mouthguard may seem like a custom option -- the mouthguard is heated and then molded to the teeth through the act of biting down on the plastic -- but because they're "customized" at home, they're often improperly modified. They also do not cover all of the teeth.

The third type of mouthguard is the custom athletic mouthguard provided by your child's dentist. We can create a truly custom athletic mouthguard for your child or teen, meaning that the mouthguard fits his or her teeth perfectly for greater comfort and better protection. A custom athletic mouthguard will stay firmly in place, making it easier to speak and breathe while wearing the appliance and preventing injuries that could occur if the appliance moves.

Want to learn more about the importance of custom athletic mouthguards for protecting your child or teen from serious sports injuries? Contact us to discuss your options.

Liberty Park Dental provides friendly, comprehensive family dentistry services to patients in Liberty and the surrounding areas of northern Kansas City, Kearney, Smithville, and Platte City. Some of our patients even travel quite a distance just to come see us! Give us a call to schedule an appointment with Dr. Dixson today. Welcome to the family!