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The importance of mouthguards for kids 

March 6, 2017

Does your child compete in contact sports at school or at club level? If so, a custom made mouthguard is an essential piece of kit that will protect their teeth from extreme impact and irrevocable damage.

Man Placing A Red Bite Plate In His Mouth

What type of sports are orthodontic mouthguards for? 

  • · Cricket.
  • · Hockey.
  • · Rugby.
  • · Boxing.
  • · Martial arts.
  • · Squash.
  • · Waterpolo (our own Dr Muraghan wears one for this)!

Why custom made moutguards over shop-bought version? 

Shop-bought mouthguards are a ‘one-size-fits-all’ shape that cannot protect your teeth in the same way as one that has been specifically created for your child’s tooth structure. Shop-bought mouthguards are very susceptible to changing shape, a potential danger as this will render them even more ill-suited to your child’s tooth shape.

If your child is anxious about wearing one, here at Boyne we have found that the range of colours available are often a good incentive to persuade them!

 

How does the process of making up my child’s mouthguard work?

You and your child will be invited to attend an initial consultation, so that your needs can be discussed. Following this, your orthodontist here at Boyne will take impressions of your teeth so that the custom mouthguard can be created. These impressions will be sent away to the dental laboratory and once we have received it, your child is ready to go and compete in their favourite sports safer than ever!

For schools and teams, we can by prior arrangement, call out to the grounds of training practice take team impressions and return at a later date to fit the mouthguards.

 

A quick note on mouthguards for tooth grinding

Excessive tooth grinding can wear away your tooth enamel, rendering teeth shorter than they should naturally be – this can also affect fillings and crowns as well as leaving you with stiffness in your jaw and headaches. Thankfully, these problems can be resolved by wearing a mouthguard at night, separating your front teeth and gently separating them whilst you sleep.

 

If you would like more information about orthodontic mouthguards at Boyne, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

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