September is a busy time of year at our office as patients return from their summer vacations, children go back to school and their sports activities begin.. making it a good time to get your child fitted for a custom sports mouth guard!
While it’s true that you can purchase one-size-fits-all or boil-and-bite mouth guards at most sporting goods stores and online, we think the benefits of custom mouth guards are worth the investment. We only get one set of adult teeth, after all! Here’s why we recommend custom mouth guards to our patients:
Custom Mouth Guards Fit Better
Store-bought one-size-fits-all mouth guards simply don't fit the way a custom mouth guard does. A custom mouth guard is molded to your child's teeth and jaw. Non-custom versions are bulky, making it hard for the wearer to speak and difficult to keep the mouth guard in place for the length of a sports game or tournament. When kids experience discomfort while wearing their mouth guards, they'll stop using them! A good fit ensures that your child will actually wear his or her mouth guard every time they're playing a game.
Custom Mouth Guards Allow Better Breathing
A common complaint about stock mouth guards is that they make it difficult to breathe during heavy exercise--in fact, this is one of the most common reasons children don’t wear them. Research has shown that custom mouth guards have no negative impact on breathing. There's even some research indicating that custom mouth guards may improve performance. If your child has complained about not being able to breathe well with their store-bought mouth guard, upgrading to a custom-made one is the way to go.
Custom Mouth Guards Offer More Protection
The American Dental Association encourages all athletes to wear mouth guards to reduce the risk of orofacial injuries; they cite a 2018 meta-analysis that found mouth guard users to be between 82% and 93% less likely to suffer dentofacial injuries. A study of collegiate athletes found that custom mouth guards offered the most protection against injury during contact sports.
Per the ADA, the most effective mouth guards are properly fitted to the wearer's mouth and accurately adapted to his or her oral structures, cover all remaining teeth on one arch, and stay in place comfortably and securely--it's simply not possible to accomplish this with stock mouth guard options.
Our Custom Sports Mouth Guard Options
At our practice, we offer Athletic Vinyl Mouth Guards made with Pro-Form material. These custom-fit mouth guards are available with or without a chin straps in a variety of colors. You can even choose two colors together for team spirit!
Make an Appointment Today
If your child will be involved in football, soccer, baseball, lacrosse, basketball or other sports this school year, contact us at 203-255-6878 to make an appointment to have your athlete fitted for a custom sports mouth guard.