Stay In The Game: Safety for Your Mouth

Each year thousands of children and adults end up in the dental office with injuries to their mouth and teeth.  Injuries ranging from small chips on the edge of a tooth to fractured, loose and missing teeth.  The sad fact of this is that most of these injuries could have been avoided or at least lessened if a simple precaution had been taken - wearing a mouthguard.  Hundreds of studies from all parts of the world have proven, without question, the effectiveness of mouthguards in protecting teeth and soft tissues of the mouth from injury.  The American Dental Association, Academy for Sports Dentistry, and National Federation of State High Schools have worked together to develop basic guidelines regarding mouthguards.  Most importantly, mouthguards need to be properly fitted, unaltered, and should not impede communication and breathing or create any hazards to airways or oral cavities.  This is best accomplished through a custom mouthguard made specifically for each child from a model of his or her mouth.  Although custom mouthguards are more expensive than the “boil-and-bite” guards available in most stores, the fit and protection is unequalled.  And, if you figure in the cost of repair to a damaged tooth with a possible root canal and crown or replacement of a tooth with an implant, the cost of a custom mouthguard  is a worthwhile investment.  Even with a mouthguard, damage to the mouth can still occur, so it is important to be educated and prepared for a dental injury.  The sooner treatment is sought the more treatment options are available.