Kids who are active in sports, particularly contact sports, should wear a sports mouth guard to protect their teeth. Sports mouth guards are not just for teeth, however. They also protect, jawbones and soft facial tissues. Protecting kids’ teeth and jawbones is crucial as damage from injuries can result in long term problems with the development of their adult teeth. But when should kids start wearing sports guards? As soon as they start playing.
Why are kids’ sports guards important?
Kids can start learning to play contact sports as early as age 5 and the sports which involve the highest potential for teeth damage and injuries are: football, wrestling, boxing, soccer, rugby, and hockey, or in lower contact sports like baseball, volleyball, and basketball. Because hockey and lacrosse involve sticks, they rank the highest for potential facial and dental injuries. In Calgary, Pee Wee hockey starts with an “Under 5” category, and there are hockey mouth guards for 5 year olds. Protecting teeth, jaws and soft tissues at a young age prevents the costs of dental repairs as well as long term damage which leads to other dental problems down the road.BOOK NOW
Can night guards be used as sports mouth guards for kids?
A mouth guard in pediatric dentistry is specifically used to help prevent teeth grinding (bruxism) at night during sleep. The purpose, shape and materials in a mouth guard are very different from sports mouth guards. Night guards are not designed to protect teeth and soft tissues from external blows and injuries. So, they definitely should not be used for double duty for your young athletes.
Do kids need custom made mouth sports guards?
Having young kids in sports can be expensive, and you might have considered buying a mouth sports guard from a pharmacy or online. These sports guards can be molded to a degree to your child’s teeth by putting them in hot water, then molding them while they are soft in the mouth. However, they rarely retain that shape, and they remain uncomfortable because they have not been customized to fit your child’s exact teeth and mouth interior. Kids resist wearing sports guards if they are uncomfortable in their mouths.
Custom kids mouth sports guards are created from a mold taken by a dentist and are made in a dental lab. This ensures that they are comfortable and more likely to be worn consistently by your kids.BOOK NOW
Where can I get a custom kids sports mouth guard?
At North Calgary Pediatric Dentistry, our dentists can create custom sports mouth guards for you and the young athletes in your household. Creating mouth guards that fit is essential to making sure they are worn consistently so that your kids can enjoy their sports activities safely. Consider a sports mouth guard as an important and necessary piece of sports equipment, just as important as a helmet.
Please realize, “sports-collisions” are always a matter of “when”, not “if”.
1. Don’t delay getting a sports mouth guard for yourself, your teen, or your child
2. Stop searching online for a cheap sports mouth guard
3. Avoid wasting your time trying to determine if sports guards are effective
4. Forget about asking other parents about the best sports mouth guards
5. End looking for a dentist in Calgary who can do custom sports guards
Protect your child from serious dental damage …
1. Get your custom sports guard made right away
2. Skip the cheap online or drugstore sports guards
3. Know that sports guards prevent thousands of sports injuries every year
4. Be confident that custom well-fitting sports guards are a good investment
5. Feel certain that North Calgary Pediatric dentists can meet your sports guard needs
