What do LeBron James and Ryan Fitzpatrick have in common? They’re both professional athletes, and they both wear mouthguards. Professional athletes know the importance of protecting their smiles, and it is just as important to protect your young player’s smile.
Our dentists care about the smiles of all Washington, D.C. youth athletes, and want to help you protect your pearly whites! Mouthguards cover the upper teeth and protect your child’s primary and adult teeth from damage due to impact. Our dentists recommend mouthguards for high-contact sports like football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer. Mouthguards should be worn during games, practices, and scrimmages. Be like LeBron—wear a mouthguard!
Does My Child Need a Mouthguard?
If your child regularly partakes in contact sports, our dentists recommend investing in a mouthguard. Accidents can happen, even while being cautious, but we want to make sure your child continues to enjoy playing sports as we help protect them from injury.
Benefits of Wearing a Mouthguard During Sports
Mouthguards are one of the best ways to protect your smile and reduce risk of a dental injury while playing sports. Broken or chipped teeth or tooth loss is not ideal and can cause stress and anxiety for you and your child. Mouthguards distribute the force of impact to lessen the seriousness of an injury if your child encounters a hit to the head or face during a game or practice. The mouthguard also protects the soft tissue in your child’s mouth, such as their cheeks, tongue, and lips, and keeps the teeth from causing damage to soft tissue due to impact.
Mouthguards are also customizable. This allows them to be more comfortable and fit correctly in your child’s mouth to prevent injury. Our dentists can fit your child for their mouthguard to ensure proper fit or help guide you in choosing the right mouthguard for your child.
How to Take Care of a Mouthguard
Once you get your mouthguard, store it in a sturdy container in between uses. Make sure to keep it clean by rinsing it in cool, soapy water to ensure it gets sanitized. Here at Coulter & Casper, we will send you home with instructions on how to take care of your mouthguard. We want to make sure your smile is happy and healthy when you win the big game!
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