Mouth Guards for Kids
Mouth Guards
If you have a child involved in sports, you may need to provide them with a mouth guard. These guards can be purchased from most sporting goods stores, but they often do not fit correctly. A mouth guard which does not fit is ineffective. It needs to contour the teeth of your child to protect them from damage properly. Luckily, at Gentle Dental, we offer custom mouth guards to fill this need.
Let’s talk a little bit about why your kids may need mouth guards, what they can prevent, and how Gentle Dental can help.
What Do Mouth Guards Do?
A mouth guard is usually made from plastic material. There are three different kinds of mouth guards; stock, boil and bite, and custom. Stock guards are the kind you would buy at a sporting goods store which comes ready to wear. However, many dentists do not recommend them, because they are ill-fitting and can restrict breathing as well as do little to protect your teeth. Boil and bite mouth guards are made from a thermoplastic material which, when heated in hot water, softens and enables the wearer to bite into it and therefore shape the guard to their teeth. Custom mouth guards are individually designed at a dentist’s office and offer the best fit and protection.
Mouth guards are typically only used for the upper teeth. In the case that you or your child practices heavy contact sports, these guards can protect them from damage such as chipping, dislodging, or losing teeth. After all, mouth trauma and losing teeth can be very painful.
Make Sure Your Wild Children Keep Their Teeth
Our kids can be a bit wild in their youth. You want to prevent them from knocking all of their teeth out before the time is right. Their adult teeth will usually begin coming in around their preteen years, but you can’t predict how long the complete process will take. Some people are still shedding baby teeth in their late teens and early twenties! If your child loses teeth early on, they could be lacking teeth for a long time. This can facilitate all kinds of issues arising due to the lack of structure in their mouth.
We want them to keep their teeth until the time is right. Make sure your crazy kids aren’t running around toothless.
How Is It Made?
The dentist will first take an impression of their teeth. After this, they will create the mouth guard using the impression as a mold. The guard itself will be relatively thin and well-fitting so that your child has an easy time breathing and communicating with their team members.
Contact Gentle Dental
Set up an appointment with us today by filling out our contact form here or by calling us. We have many locations set up for your convenience. Don’t wait until they get hurt during their games. Ask us about our custom mouth guards today!