Contact Sports and Protecting Young Teeth

Many children tend to become really serious about sports around the time their permanent teeth have settled in nicely. At this point, parents of young children should have their children fitted for mouth guards.

According to the American Dental Association, a third of all dental injuries occur due to sports—and this number is not just limited to rough sports like football. Sports like gymnastics and surfing can also lead to dental injuries. Fortunately, these injuries can be prevented by having your child wear mouth guards.

Mouth guards have long been proven to be an effective way to prevent a knocked out tooth and other dental emergencies. Experts estimate that mouth guards help prevent over 200,000 dental injuries from occurring every year.

For young children, a premade or a “boil and bite” mouth guard from the local sports shop is enough to protect their teeth. As they grow older, however, mouth guards may no longer fit properly, which could actually increase the chances of injury.

When this happens, your child needs to have an experienced dentist fashion a custom-made mouth guard. These guards are contoured to provide a perfect fit for your child’s teeth. In turn, they provide your child with maximum protection as your child competes in his or her sport of choice