Every parent knows the kinds of injuries that can bubble up from kids playing contact sports, such as hockey or football. Broken arms, dislocated shoulders, fractured finger bones, concussions -- and, of course, damaged teeth. Even in basketball, an elbow to the mouth can lead to costly and painful restorational procedures. That’s why it’s important to get custom mouthguards for your children, and avoid damage down the road.
The National Youth Sports Foundation for the Prevention of Athletic Injuries reports dental injuries are the most common type of orofacial injury sustained during participation in sports. When a tooth is knocked out and not properly treated, the athlete may face dental costs of $10,000 - $15,000 per tooth. Yes, you read that correctly -- per tooth. Not to mention hours spent in the dentist's chair, and the possibility of developing other dental issues like bone loss.
Custom Mouthguards For Your Kids
The store-bought “boil-and-bite” mouthguards aren’t always as effective, and those who wear them often report discomfort and difficulty communicating with other players due to their bulkiness. Trusted Scottsdale prosthodontist Dr. Michael Bleeker recommends scheduling an appointment to mold a custom mouthguard for your child.
The optimal amount of comfort, flexibility and protection can be achieved with custom mouthguards -- and buying a mouthguard from Amazon or a sporting goods store is a bad idea.
Preventing Injury & Promoting Comfort
A properly diagnosed, designed, and custom fabricated mouthguard is essential to prevent contact sports injuries to the teeth. As a dental professional, it’s important for Dr. Bleeker to educate the parents and coaches about the limitations of boil-and-bite or rigid mouthguards. These ill-filling devices aren’t customized for the athlete and therefore cannot address personal differences that exist between different individuals. If everyone had the same dentition, played the same sport, played the same position at the same level of competition, were the same age and same size mouth, and had the same number and shape of teeth -- then prescribing a standard, cookie-cutter mouthguard would be easy. But everyone’s mouth is different.
For instance, athletes who have braces require a specially designed mouthguard to allow for orthodontic movement without compromising on injury prevention and fit. This can only be achieved through custom mouthguards.
Want to avoid paying dental bill after dental bill, and give your child athlete the most comfortable, protective tool to keep their smile intact and beautiful? Schedule an appointment today with Dr. Bleeker to craft a custom mouthguard for your child, and call our office if you wish to learn more about custom mouthguards and dental injuries.