Does My Child Need a Mouthguard?
You work hard to promote a healthy, beautiful smile for your child. You encourage oral hygiene at home, take them to the dentist every six months, and ensure that they receive a balanced diet for healthy teeth and gums. However, despite your best efforts, you may be overlooking a critical aspect. If they are riding their bike, playing soccer, or participating in another activity without a mouthguard, you are placing their teeth and gums at risk of damage. Without a mouthguard, you are essentially sending them out onto the football field without a helmet.
Prevent Dental Emergencies
A mouthguard is a vital piece of protective equipment that children need—no matter their age. It is estimated that one in ten will suffer from a facial or dental injury every sports season. That is equivalent to 15 million Americans. Of those injuries, 5 million will result in knocked out teeth.
Many of these could have been prevented with the use of a mouthguard. It acts as a protective barrier for the teeth and gums to reduce the severity of an injury if there is an impact or trauma to the mouth or face.
This added layer of protection helps to prevent broken, fractured, dislodged, and knocked out teeth while also preventing cuts and bruises to the soft tissues. In some cases, a mouthguard has even shown to help decrease the severity of more serious injuries, such as concussions, jaw and neck injuries, and brain hemorrhages by preventing the lower jaw from impacting the upper jaw.
Don’t Compromise Safety
Although many know that a mouthguard is beneficial, they unknowingly place their child’s teeth and gums at risk by purchasing one from a local convenience store. While they are affordable and widely available, they do not offer the same level of protection as one that is custom-fit from a dentist. When they do not fit correctly, it can actually do more harm than good if an injury occurs.
Those that are available from the dentist are custom-made to ensure the right size and fit while promoting comfort when worn over the teeth. The flexible plastic appliance is made from high-quality material for the best level of protection while also ensuring comfort.
Protect Your Child’s Smile
If your child participates in any sport that poses a risk for an injury, such as basketball, rollerblading, or baseball, it is vital that they have the protection of a mouthguard. You have worked hard to foster a healthy, beautiful smile. Don’t place it at risk by skipping this critical piece of protection.
About Ponderosa Family Dental
Ponderosa Family Dental is committed to creating generations of healthy, beautiful smiles. We believe that the foundation starts with preventive care. In addition to cleanings and checkups, we provide custom-fit mouthguards for patients of all ages to protect the teeth and gums from damage. If your child will be participating in sports this season, contact our office today to learn more about the benefits of athletic mouthguards.
