Athletic Mouth Guards Can Help Protect Your Child's Teeth From Harm

Custom mouth guards can help protect your child's teeth and prevent trauma when they play contact sports. They can also help reduce injuries to the gums and mouth tissue or reduce tension during other activities, such as running or weight lifting.

If your child participates in sports or other physical activities, our orthodontic team

at Grove Dental Group and Orthodontics in Wyomissing, PA can advise you about the best choice of mouth guard to protect both baby and permanent teeth and avoid trauma to the mouth.

Keep reading to learn more about the importance of a custom mouthguard to help protect your child's teeth.

Should my child use a mouth guard?

A custom mouth guard is useful to children of all ages who engage in physical activities that may result in mouth trauma or tension in the mouth. Whether they engage in martial arts, football, track and field, or yoga, a mouth guard can help protect their teeth and help maintain any restorations or dental equipment (such as braces) in their mouth.

Since custom athletic mouth guards are fitted to each child, they are far more comfortable than the generic mouth guards of previous years or those available at sporting goods stores (also called "boil-and-bite mouth guards) which cause their own pain and irritation.

Our team can also adjust the mouth guard to ensure the best fit as your child's needs change. And if your child is hesitant to wear a mouth guard (particularly in situations that don't require one), our staff can also help make it more stylish.

Can a mouth guard help protect my child's teeth?

Athletic mouth guards are most effective in protecting your child's teeth when they are customized to fit correctly, worn properly, cleaned frequently according to our staff's instructions, and stored away from heat and moisture when not in use. Specific care instructions for your child's mouth guard will depend on the materials used to create it.

A mouth guard is also most beneficial when it's taken to each dental appointment your child has so our team can inspect it. If it's not being cleaned properly or has become ill-fitting, we will be able to ensure it's still working as intended.

A mouth guard will help protect your child's teeth, but this is best accomplished with a custom device. However, using a dirty, ill-fitted, or damaged mouth guard has the potential to negatively affect your child's teeth and oral health and cause them pain.

In addition to protecting your child's teeth, a custom mouth guard can help protect their gums, lips, tongue, and cheeks. While a face shield may also be used for protection, it may not be as effective at preventing the oral trauma caused by some activities.

Learn more about mouth guards for children in Wyomissing, PA

While many contact sports require children to wear mouth guards, it's wise to consider a custom mouth guard even when they do not. Making a custom mouth guard is as simple as scheduling a time to get an imprint of your child's teeth and waiting up to a week for it to be made.

To learn more about getting your child a custom mouth guard for sports, schedule an appointment with our team at Grove Dental Group and Orthodontics in Wyomissing, PA.