Will your child be participating in school sports this year?
If so, you might consider talking to your West Covina dentist about investing in a sports guard.
Sports guards are an essential component of protective sportswear and are just as important as helmets and knee guards.
Unfortunately, many kids still aren’t wearing sports mouthguards, which puts them at high risk for dental injuries – injuries that can result in the need for expensive and extensive dental care.
To keep your kids’ teeth looking great and in good shape, talk to your West Covina children's dentist about their sports guard recommendations.
Sports guards are also known as mouth protectors or athletic mouthguards. Some just fit over the teeth, while others fit over the teeth, gums, and other soft tissues. The goal of wearing this type of protective gear is to prevent sports-related injuries.
The American Dental Association recommends that anyone in school, professional, or recreational sports wear a sports guard. This is especially true for people engaging in high-velocity contact sports, which put them at higher risk for dental trauma and injury.
While sports mouthguards from a West Covina family dentist can’t prevent every injury, they can significantly reduce the damage caused by a sports injury.
Earlier this year, Delta Dental of Tennessee (a dental insurance company) teamed up with pro athletes and the Special Olympics to encourage kids and their parents to invest in and wear sports guards. One reason was that nearly 85% of student-athletes don’t wear sports guards.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital refers to sports guards as a “necessary piece of equipment.”
Why do so many people encourage children to wear these dental devices?
Probably the most obvious reason a sports guard from a West Covina dentist is recommended is to prevent a knocked-out tooth.
Getting a tooth knocked out is one of the most common dental injuries in sports.
While some knocked-out teeth can be safely placed back in their socket, this isn’t the case in all instances. Sometimes, a child loses the tooth and needs an implant to replace it.
But wearing a sports guard can reduce the risk of losing a tooth.
Root damage is another concern dentists have for their young patients engaging in sports. If your child falls or gets hit in the face, the teeth can become displaced or shift. When this happens, it’s traumatic for the roots.
When a tooth’s root is damaged, blood flow to the tooth itself becomes restricted, which can cause the tooth to die. The child will either need root canal treatment or an extraction.
Thankfully, a sports guard from a West Covina children's dentist can help protect the roots of your child’s teeth.
Another common dental injury for those who play sports is a fractured tooth. If they get hit in the face, a tooth can fracture. Or, if they fall, they might hit their chin, causing them to bite down hard, the force of which can result in a fractured tooth.
A sports guard adds a barrier that helps prevent teeth from breaking if there’s facial impact.
It isn’t uncommon for someone to bite their tongue, lip, or cheek if they fall. Such an injury can result in the need for stitches or even surgery to repair the damage.
A well-made sports guard covers the teeth and is thick enough so that the damage is minimal when athletes bite down hard.
Concussions are of concern to any parent whose child participates in sports, whether or not they’re contact sports.
The short-term effects of a concussion can include:
Sometimes, patients deal with those effects for weeks or months after the injury. Other long-term effects of concussion are:
Interestingly, a 2019 Canadian study found that ice hockey players who wore sports guards had a reduced risk of concussions by 64%.
Another benefit of a sports guard from a West Covina dentist is that it can help improve your athlete’s game. Some pro athletes swear that wearing their guard helps improve their alignment, allowing them to breathe better.
Good breathing and proper body alignment can help reduce the risk of injury, help them perform better while training or on game day, and can help them recover more quickly.
Despite all these benefits, some kids are still resistant to wearing a sports guard. One reason they might avoid wearing one is that they think that it’s not cool.
Thankfully, more pro athletes are wearing sports mouthguards, inspiring kids to start wearing them, too.
Athletes who wear dental sports guards include:
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. In 2016, researchers estimated that 90% of hockey players use sports guards despite not yet being a requirement of the National Hockey League. Athletes in boxing, soccer, football, and other sports have also been wearing dental mouthguards for decades.
For most school districts, school sports will start soon – if they haven’t already. Now’s the time to take steps to protect their teeth. With a dental sports guard, you can help prevent a dental emergency.
Protect your child’s teeth and overall health by investing in a sports guard from your West Covina dentist.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment for your child’s new sports guard.
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