Is your child wearing the right mouthguard?
You wouldn't let your child ride a bike without a helmet and protective padding, right? Yet it might surprise you to know that many Aussie parents are risking their children's teeth by having them wear less than effective mouthguards when playing other sports.
If your child plays or participates in any of the following school sports in Australia then it is a mandatory requirement to wear a mouthguard and a ‘strong recommendation’ to wear a fitted mouthguard:
- Rugby League
- Water Polo
- Australian Football
- Rugby Union
- Handball
- Soccer
- Hockey
- Martial Arts
So how effective are mouthguards? The ADA estimates that athletes who don't wear mouthguards are 60 times more likely to suffer dental injury than those who do.
What Type of Mouthguard Is Best?
The best mouthguard for your child is the one he or she actually wears, both at practice and on game day. There are several different types of mouthguards on the market, which generally fall into three categories:
- An “off-the-shelf” mouthguard. Available at many sporting goods stores, this type comes in a limited range of sizes, and varies widely in quality. The least expensive option, it offers a minimal level of protection that's probably better than nothing. It generally must be clenched in the mouth, which can make wearing it uncomfortable and cause trouble breathing and speaking.
- The “boil and bite” mouthguard. These are designed to be immersed in hot water, and then formed in the mouth using finger, tongue and bite pressure. When they can be made to fit adequately, they generally offer better protection than the first type—but they may still be uncomfortable, and usually fail to offer full coverage of the teeth.
- A custom-made mouthguard. This is a piece of quality sports equipment that is custom fabricated for your child's mouth. How? Molds or impressions of your child's teeth will be made and then tough, resilient, high quality materials are perfectly fitted to that impression. This type of mouthguard offers your child maximum protection and a superior level of comfort — and its cost is quite reasonable.
If you’re still not sure, quality fitted mouthguards offer protection against the following:
- Protection of teeth and gums
- Protection against chipped or broken teeth
- Protection of cheeks
- Protection of tongue
- Protection of jaw
- Protection of implants, crowns or veneers
- Protection of braces (if they cannot be removed)
- Protection of bridges
- Protects jaws reducing the risk of joint injury
- Protects against biting and piercing lips
The price of a quality mouthguard is very small compared to dental or medical fees for correction or treatment of some, or all the above, and can extend to countless hours & a great deal of expense.
At the present time, when top-quality sports equipment for kids can run in the hundreds of dollars, it makes more sense than ever to invest in the proven protection of a professionally made, custom-fitted mouthguard.
Our clinic is conveniently located close to Kew, Mont Albert, Surrey Hills, Hawthorn, Deepdene and Camberwell. Please feel free to contact our caring dentists on 03) 9817 7144 for any of your dental needs.