Safeguard Your Smile
Springtime is almost here! Warmer weather means more time spent outdoors. And for kids and adults alike, it might mean more sports activities. Sports are great. Taking part in sports can help us feel fitter, healthier, and mentally strong. Sports help you form new connections and build stronger relationships. They boost your confidence and overall happiness levels, improve your lung function, and help develop stronger bones and muscles. For children, sports provide a great foundation for future growth and aid in development.
However, sports can also lead to injuries. The last thing you want when horsing around with your friends or tossing a football is to end up with cracked or missing teeth, or a crown fracture. For people who wear braces or have fixed bridge work, a blow to the face or a fall could also damage the brackets or other fixed orthodontic appliances. Dental injuries during sports activities are very common, with basketball, football, hockey, martial arts, and boxing carrying the highest risk.
Knowing how to protect your teeth is very important, especially if you participate in organized sports activities. However, non-contact activities, such as gymnastics and skating carry a risk as well. Dental injuries are not fun. Imagine that you suddenly lose your two front teeth. All activities, such as smiling, laughing, eating, and talking would be affected.
Mouthguards, also called mouth protectors, help cushion a blow to the face, minimizing the risk of broken teeth and injuries to your lips, tongue, face or jaw. There are several different types of mouthguards that you can get depending on your budget and the type of activity you engage in. Although some mouthguards only cover the upper teeth, if you have braces or engage in activities with a high risk of falling, your dentist or orthodontist may suggest that you use a mouthguard that covers the lower teeth as well.
The best type of mouthguard is always one that is custom-made for you by a dentist or orthodontist. Your dentist will measure your mouth and create a custom sports mouthguard that is custom fit to you. It is pressed and hand-cut on a model of your teeth. That means it will provide a much greater level of protection. The generic boil-and-bite mouthguards are nothing more than chunks of rubber that are bulky, clumsy, uncomfortable, and ineffective because they are chewed through and turned unrecognizable almost instantly. They also make it hard to breathe and speak.
A custom mouthguard will not fall out when you need it most. It can also help position your jaw, head, and neck properly, reducing tension and providing the ultimate protection to your teeth and gums. While a generic ineffective mouthguard can cost you up to $30, a custom made one will be around $60.00 depending on your insurance and other dental needs. It is well worth the extra money, since a better fit means better performance and protection when you take a hit.
If you or your child need a mouthguard, call today for a consultation with the best kids dentists in Brooklyn: 718.998.2424. Our office is located at 2464 Coney Island Ave Brooklyn NY. We look forward to helping you!