It’s fall again. Football and Basketball are in the air. As we look at dental care at this time of year, mouthguards play a big role in protecting your smile. There are several different types of sport mouthguards for kids available.Sports mouth guards for kids are available at the local sporting goods stores. These are usually bulky and ill-fitting. They can also make it difficult to breathe. Another alternative are the boil and bite type mouth guards. These are heated up in water and shaped to the teeth with finger and tongue pressure. They offer a reasonable amount of protection to the teeth and mouth without being extremely expensive. The best mouth guards are those that are custom fit to the athlete. These require an impression of the teeth and they are custom made to each patient. These can be expensive but they also offer the most comfortable fit and the best possible protection for the teeth and mouth. The custom mouth guards can also be fabricated to include team colors. Generally, mouth guards cover your upper teeth only, but in some instances (such as if you wear braces or another fixed dental appliance on your lower jaw), your dentist will make a mouth guard for the lower teeth as well. Your pediatric dentist in Gainesville can suggest the best mouth guard for you. An effective mouth guard should be comfortable, resist tears, be durable and easy to clean, and should not restrict your breathing or speech.
Who Needs a Mouth Guard?
Mouth guards should be used by anyone — children and adults — who play contact sports such as football, martial arts, soccer, ice hockey, basketball, lacrosse, and field hockey. However, even those participating in any recreational activity (for example, skateboarding, mountain biking) that might pose a risk of injury to the mouth would benefit from wearing a protective mouth guard.
