Mouth Guards

When your child begins to participate in activities and sports that involve a low to high levels of contact, you should make sure he or she wears a mouth guard to protect from oral injuries. Mouth guards are appliances made out of flexible plastic that help to protect teeth from trauma including preventing broken teeth and other injuries to the lips or jaw.

You should be sure that the mouth guard your child uses fits properly because this ensures that the mouth guard will stay in place during recreational sports or activities. A proper fit also allows your child to be able to breathe and talk comfortably while wearing the guard. So, bee sure to choose the mouth guard that best fits your child’s needs.

Custom made mouth guards are better than the stock mouth guards you will find at most sporting good stores because they conform to your child’s bite and are made of more durable material. Store-bought mouth guards do not offer the same protection because they are unable to conform to teeth and may slip off the mouth if they too pinch or can cause discomfort if too small.

You can find "boil and bite" mouth guards at sporting goods stores which are a better alternative to stock mouth guards but are still not as good as a custom made mouth guards. However, this type of mouth guard does offer your child more protection because it is more molded to your child’s bite. To form the guard to the teeth, all you must do is boil it in hot water and have your child bite down on it. This may seem fairly easy but it can be more difficult than it sounds. It is often better to have your dentist help  you fit it.

The best type of mouth guard is a custom fit one that you can obtain from your child’s dentist. He or she will take an impression of your child’s teeth and send it to a dental laboratory where they will custom-make the mouth guard. In considering what mouth guard to have your child wear one thing is for certain, the better the quality of the mouth guard, the better protection you child’s mouth will have.