Sports Mouthguards: National Facial Protection Month
April is National Facial Protection Month! Whether your child is involved with basketball, baseball, football, soccer, or more, they should be protecting their teeth with sports mouthguards. Safety equipment does not stop with what your coach can provide you; your pediatric dentist can help too!
Kids’ mouthguard for sports
Children who play contact sports are often the ones using mouthguards. The mouthguards can help protect your child’s teeth, lips, and braces.
When first selecting a mouthguard, you should look at the different sizes. It should fit like Cinderella’s glass slipper: not too big, not too small, but just right! Nothing is more uncomfortable than running around with a mouthguard that is about to fall out or one that makes it difficult to talk. Your pediatric dentist will be able to fit you in the perfect size.
Secondly, you should ensure that your child’s breathing stays the same when they have the mouthguard in. Your child should have sufficient airflow while also protecting their teeth.
Children with braces may require a little extra support. Ensure that your child’s mouthguard is wide enough to fit over the braces comfortably.
Your pediatric dentist in Powdersville SC can create a custom-made sports mouthguard to ensure that your child has the most accurate fit and is comfortable while playing their sport.
Dental trauma from sports
When your child is involved in sports, injuries are common and almost always likely to happen. The most common orofacial injuries are soft tissue lacerations and usually are seen on the upper lip.
Your child’s tooth can often displace from the socket, also called dental avulsion. This is another one of the most common injuries. In other cases, your child’s tooth might chip or break and can cause more severe issues.
Basketball has shown one of the highest injuries rates due to contact with elbows and hands. Other sports, including football, hockey, lacrosse, and wrestling, are some of the only sports that require mouthguards. It is essential that you provide your child with as much protection as possible when it comes to other sports that would have just as much contact.
Dental Emergencies
If your child has suffered from a dental injury, call your pediatric dental office in South Carolina, and we would love to be able to assist. Make sure you are protecting them as much as possible before they get into that situation.
