How a Mouthguard Can Prevent Dental Emergencies

My Kidz Dentist Blog How a Mouthguard Can Prevent Dental Emergencies
How a Mouthguard Can Prevent Dental Emergencies

A mouthguard is a simple plastic device that helps prevent your teeth from suffering many dental issues while playing sports. Without a mouthguard, you are leaving your mouth and teeth vulnerable, and you may suffer a dental emergency that you could have otherwise prevented. 

Here at My Kidz Dental, our team of experienced pediatric dentists can recommend custom-fitted mouthguards to keep your child’s teeth safe. 

The importance of mouthguards during sports

It is important to wear a mouthguard while participating in sports because it helps to cushion the mouth and teeth, preventing minor and serious dental emergencies. 

Some of the most common problems a mouthguard can protect against include the following:

Although a mouthguard does not provide 100% protection, it does lessen a child’s chance of suffering from one of the above dental emergencies. 

It is recommended to use a mouthguard for almost all sports, including:

Mouthguard types 

Mouthguards are not all created equally, and several types are available for your child. Each one offers varying protection, but only custom-fitted mouthguards can provide the highest-quality protection.

Store-bought mouthguards

Store-bought mouthguards are typically the cheapest and can be purchased online or over-the-counter at most sporting goods stores. These offer the least protection and are not custom-fitted to your child’s mouth, making it difficult to keep in properly. You can also sometimes find them at pharmacies or drug stores as they can be used to prevent teeth grinding at night. 

Bite and boil mouthguards

Typically purchased online, bite-and-boil mouthguards allow you to make custom-fitted mouthguards in your home. Though they are not nearly as comfortable as custom-fitted mouthguards, they still provide a decent amount of protection and are easier to use than store-bought mouthguards.

Custom-fitted mouthguards

The best of the best when it comes to mouthguards, custom-fitted mouthguards are molded to your child’s teeth and fit their mouth perfectly. It provides the best protection and is much more comfortable to wear than other mouthguards. 

Mouthguards help prevent dental emergencies 

Using a custom-fitted mouthguard can mean the difference between keeping your child’s teeth safe and well or dealing with a dental emergency after a hit to the mouth. Sports, especially contact-heavy sports, increase the risk of tooth chips, cracks, breaks, and knocked-out teeth, making a mouthguard extremely important. 

Give our Phoenix, Arizona, offices a call, and let our expert team of pediatric dentists help keep your child’s teeth safe during sports. 

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