Mouthguards are necessary for every athlete, especially athletes that have braces!
Breaking a tooth can literally happen to any athlete at any level of any sport, and these types of blows to the face can lead to serious issues for orthodontic patients as well.
Most of these accidents are actually preventable, because wearing proper mouthguards can always go a very long way in terms of protecting your teeth and orthodontic equipment.
No one wants to see their kids lose a tooth while playing sports, and they especially don’t want to see their kids endure serious cuts and abrasions when suffering a blow to the mouth while wearing braces! This is why we’ve created this article to promote the usage of mouthguards for all of our athletic patients, which will also help parents better understand exactly why mouthguards are so important no matter what sport your kid plays!
How Mouthguards Are Necessary To Protect Your Child’s Teeth
Although mouthguards tend to be rather inexpensive plastic covers that simply slide over your teeth, they do an incredible job at protecting an athlete’s lips, gums, teeth and tongue in the instance that they experience a blow to the mouth that otherwise would have done some serious damage.
You can also obtain mouthguards that are designed for your bottom arch, and our team will always be there to help our braces patients who need custom-made mouthguards!
A custom-made mouthguard from Dr. Karpac’s team will always be more effective as compared to preformed and bite-and-boil mouthguards, and we’ll always recommend this procedure to our patients who play sports on a regular basis.
Risks Associated With Losing Teeth
When a tooth gets knocked out via a blow to the mouth, it can be very painful and also detrimental to a patient’s orthodontic care. Your mouth will always begin restructuring itself when a tooth gets knocked out, which can lead to unique changes in care and even treatment results.
It’s also typically rather expensive to have to deal with a lost tooth over the course of one’s lifetime, so there’s definitely a legitimate financial concern associated with losing a tooth as well. This financial burden predominately pertains to the need for routine restorations, so these aren’t one-time payments and it does have long-term effects on an individual’s wallet!
Are Mouthguards Only Necessary For Kids Who Play Contact Sports?
One of the most dangerous oral health misconceptions that parents have is that their kid only needs a mouthguard if they play hockey or football, but this most certainly couldn’t be further from the truth.
Many people simply underestimate how dangerous the force associated with knees, elbows and certain balls can ultimately be, which is why athletes who play basketball, soccer, baseball, lacrosse, and many other sports also should wear mouthguards.
Even gymnasts should consider wearing mouthguards simply because of the dangerous possibilities associated with falling or making impact with harsh stationary objects like a bar or gym’s horse.
What Do I Do If My Child Refuses To Wear a Mouthguard?
This is a common issue that we come across with our braces patients, and it’s important for all parents to simply and thoroughly understand the serious safety hazards associated with allowing your child to play sports without a mouthguard while wearing braces.
Like we mentioned above, this is also a serious financial risk as well for parents! We know that a lot of kids don’t like the discomfort of mouthguards, which is why we always go above and beyond to ensure that our custom mouthguards will fit securely, yet comfortably.
Reach Out To Dr. Karpac And Our Team For More Information About Custom Mouthguards!
If your child plays sports, then it’s important that we get them a custom mouthguard to wear throughout their orthodontic treatment. This not only will ensure the stability of their care, but also the stability of your investment!
Feel free to contact us online or call us at 614-766-0330 (Dublin office) or 614-471-6355 (Gahanna office) for more information about setting up a custom mouthguard fitting today!