Children are, by virtue of their age and eagerness to experiment, prone to injury. Once school sports and community recreational activities begin, your child will be exposed to a higher risk for dental trauma, such as broken teeth, lacerations to the lips, facial fractures and/or concussions. While organized children’s sports have come a long way in terms of safety, one of the simplest and most successful preventive tools is the lowly mouthguard, which covers the teeth and gums to prevent and reduce dental injury in contact sports.
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- Ready-made: Also called “stock,” these are pre-formed and come in various sizes but are not adjustable other than trimming with a scissors
- Boil & Bite: Usually made of ethylene-vinyl acetate, these mouthguards are the most common. Drop in boiling water, put into the mouth, and they form a relatively good fit for very little expense.
- Custom-made: Created in a lab based on a dental impression, they are the most expensive but also the most effective, as they stay in place better than the other two options
Our Manhattan pediatric dentist strongly recommends the use of a mouthguard whenever your child engages in sports, including non-team sports such as neighborhood skating, pick-up ball games, biking and other activities that expose the child to the potential for dental injury.
