As a parent, you probably don’t need to be reminded of how active your children are! It’s normal for kids to want to play, run around, spend time outdoors, and be a part of organized sports.
As a result, it’s important to protect their teeth when they do.
Children tend to be a bit more accident-prone than adults, so when you see professional football players, soccer players, and baseball players protecting their teeth with mouthguards, you should know how crucial it is to protect your child’s teeth, too.
While coaches are meant to keep your children safe during sports, they can’t prevent every possible accident. So, what can you do to keep your children’s teeth safe while they’re enjoying a sport they love?
To be on the safe side, it’s a good rule of thumb to keep your child’s mouth protected when they’re participating in any kind of sport. But, there are certain physical activities that pose more of a risk for dental damage than others. Some of the sports that can put your children’s teeth more at risk include:
The most common injuries that are associated with these sports are things like cracked teeth, fractured roots, and intrusions. An intrusion occurs when the tooth gets hit and knocked into the jaw bone. It can be very painful, easily visible, and typically requires a lot of treatment.
Obviously, there is also the risk of your child’s tooth being knocked out completely during the sport of their choice. Any of these situations can require emergency dental work, so don’t wait to bring your child in if they’ve experienced this kind of trauma during a sporting event.
So, what can you do to protect your child’s smile when they’re playing sports? The best option is to use a custom-fitted mouthguard. The mouthguards we use at Hines Little Smiles are designed specifically for your child’s bite, so they fit perfectly within the mouth and won’t be uncomfortable or distracting to your child in any way. There are standard mouthguards on the market today, and while they work better than no protection at all, getting the proper fit is the best way to keep your child safe and comfortable.
Mouthguards aren’t 100% foolproof, but they can help to prevent a lot of injuries to your little athlete’s teeth. You wouldn’t let your children play football without pads, or step up to bat at a baseball game without a helmet, so why put their teeth at risk without the proper protection? According to the American Dental Association, about 3 million teeth are knocked out at youth sporting events each year. Many of those could be prevented if more children wore mouthguards.
If you’re interested in learning more about custom athletic mouthguards for children or you would like to get your children fitted for one, contact us to set up an appointment. Our team is always happy to provide mouthguard fittings and encourage the safety of your children’s smiles when they’re playing a sport they love.
Call 614-475-5439 or request an appointment online to set up your first visit. We’ll be in touch soon.
