Custom-fitted mouthguards for children’s sports

With summer football practices starting up, there is no time like the present to discuss the importance of custom-fitted mouthguards. When it comes to our children, safety is always on our minds, so knowing how to best protect them is paramount.

Traumatic brain injury reduction

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI), or concussions, have been in the sporting news world a lot lately. Football has garnered a majority of the SportsCenter attention, but all athletes, even those that don’t play high impact sports are at high risk for head injuries. Studies indicate that soccer players, through repetitive heading of the ball, are at risk for TBI’s. Needless to say, full contact sports such as football, hockey, MMA and of course rodeo, are at a much higher risk. So, with football season revving up into gear, the time is now to discuss what can be done to minimize the numbers of our young people with injuries.

Custom-fitted mouthguards (professionally made by your dentist) have been shown to lower the risk for concussions by more than half! In one study following high school football players, the players were given either a custom mouthguard made by a dentist, or a regular “boil-and-bite” type of guard. The young men were monitored for a full season and then the results were tallied. In the group that received the regular guards, over 8% had at least a mild TBI, while the athletes with the custom guards had them at a rate of 3.5%. That is over a 50% reduction in head trauma – a huge difference by anyone’s measure.

Time to get fitted for your custom mouthguard

A high quality, well made and custom-fitted mouthguard provides a lot more than just protection from concussions. A quality, customized guard will help protect teeth which during the high impact collisions, are susceptible to chipping and even fracturing. Custom guards can even be customized with logos, names and jersey numbers to add a touch of personality and easy-identification that athletes love.

NFL quality, custom-fitted mouthguards are the gold standard in the fight to prevent concussions and other injuries to the teeth, face, jaw and brain for athletes of all ages. It involves the fabrication of these guards using specialized equipment where, under high pressure, the guard is custom made to fit very snuggly, while a certain thickness is maintained to offer maximum protection and shock absorption. Athletes and parents alike know that a mouthguard is a key part of an athletes protective gear. With so much on the line, its a no-brainer to get your child, or yourself fitted for a quality mouthguard.