A lot of parents tell us that sports have become a year-round activity. You want to celebrate your children’s successes and encourage them in defeat.
Whether your children change sports with the seasons or focuses on one sport, we hope they are wearing athletic mouthguards when they take the field or the court. No matter how they perform, you want them to keep their winning smiles long after their playing days are over.
The best way to do that is with a custom-fitted athletic mouthguard. We can make them for your family at Davenport Dental Group.
We have two locations in Laredo, TX. Call our Junction Drive office at 956-242-6745 or our Winfield office at 956-517-2695.
All Mouthguards Are Not The Same
You can purchase mouthguards in retail stores, and these are better than wearing nothing. This is similar to how wearing a seat belt is safer than not wearing one. At the same time, professional drivers use a five-point harness when they take the track rather than instead of the standard seat belt. In a similar way, a custom mouthguard offers better protection than a standard one from the store.
Stock mouthguards are not moldable, which can actually create some problems with fit. Boil-and-bite mouthguards offer a degree of moldability. The biggest drawback with these is durability. They can wear down quickly, which minimizes their protective benefits. Ironically, boil-and-bite mouthguards often are bulky, which can interfere with breathing, communication, and drinking water while they are being worn.
By getting a customized mouthguard, your children have greater protection against dental injuries. Our mouthguards also are smaller than the typical ones you can find in stores. That means your kids can breathe, speak, and drink without removing their mouthguards.
Who Should Wear A Mouthguard?
The short answer is this: anyone who plays a high-impact sport.
That leads to another question: What is a high-impact sport? The easiest way to answer that question is to give you some examples:
- Combat sports — Boxing, mixed martial arts, and wrestling all fit into this category. These sports typically make mouthguards mandatory for participation.
- Contact sports — Football may be the best-known example of this, but basketball, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, and other sports should be considered part of this category, too. Indeed we go a reminder of this last month during the NBA Finals, when Raptors guard Fred Van Fleet chipped a tooth after he was hit accidentally with an elbow going for a rebound.
- Sports that involve changes in speed and direction, jumping, and flying objects — This includes everything from baseball and softball to BMX biking, tennis, and volleyball.
And mouthguards aren’t just for kids. If you are playing sports either competitively or recreationally, you should protect your smile as well.
Stay In The Game
Playing sports is a great way to stay in shape. Although they do come with a risk of injury, you can reduce that risk by wearing the right protective gear. Depending on the sport, that might include helmets or various kinds of padding. And for nearly all sports, this includes wearing a custom-made athletic mouthguard.
Get them for you and your loved ones at Davenport Dental Group. Call 956-242-6745 (Junction Drive) or 956-517-2695 (Winfield) or contact us online.