10 May Let’s Talk Mouthguards with Dr. Krista Kunz of Magnolia Pediatric Dentistry in Mt. Pleasant, SC

With summer and summer camps upon us, we’d like to talk about the importance of your child wearing a mouthguard while playing sports. Many people think that mouthguards are only for high contact sports or for high school athletes. However the American Dental Association recommends that they be used at whatever age your child begins to play contact sports or a sport with high risk of head injury. We can make custom fit mouthguards for your kids at our office.

Some sports where mouthguards are recommended are: basketball, hockey, football, gymnastics, handball, lacrosse, martial arts, racquetball, rugby, skateboarding, skiing, soccer, surfing, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling. Even if children aren’t at a level where they are making a lot of physical contact, making the mouthguard a part of the sports uniform is a great habit to start at a young age.

Mouthguards have many benefits. The most commonly accepted benefit is prevention of dental injuries. Individuals are 60% more likely to damage their teeth while playing sports if they are not wearing a mouthguard. Mouthguards can also help prevent concussions, as is discussed in this article from General Dentistry. Another benefit is the protection they provide during bruxism (a fancy way to say teeth grinding) and clenching.

The mouthguards you can buy at sporting goods stores will definitely provide some protection to your kids. A common problem with these mouthguards is that they may not fit your child’s mouth well. If the fit isn’t good, your child won’t like wearing it and it’ll be harder to make sure their mouth is protected. A great solution is get a custom mouthguard from our office. Your kid will love to wear their one-of-kind mouthguard.

Dr. Kunz recommends brushing your mouthguard with toothpaste and a toothbrush and rinsing with water after each use. You can store it in a container with holes for ventilation.

For more information on mouthguards, go to https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/m/mouthguards

As always, call our office with any questions! 843-996-6796