I did report on mouth guards earlier this fall, but just attended a fabulous presentation, on mouth guards. Who knew they were so exciting? All those Varsity Parents who left the auditorium before the Academy of Sports Dentistry orthodentist spoke missed a very entertaining and enlightening talk.

Does your child play in a contact or non-contact sport?  Non-contact sports do not require mouth guards.

Don’t rely on the high schools to define this for you. For example, basketball, soccer, and girls lacrosse are considered non-contact sports. Have you seen how “non-contact” these sports are today? Bottom line: if your child engages in a sport where the face gets in contact with a ball, elbow, knee, arm, stick or another head – consider it a contact sport.

If your child plays in a contact sport, he/she should wear a mouth guard. This is a standard recommendation from dental professionals. Why? A properly fitted mouthguard decreases the chances for serious facial and mouth injuries.

An athlete is 60 times more likely to injure teeth by NOT wearing a mouthguard. Cost/Benefit. There is no comparison. Dental bills for damaged teeth can break the family’s medical fund bank. The cost of a decent mouth guard : $30 – $100. Custom fitted mouth guards are great and can be purchased through your dental professional’s office.

Another important finding. If you use boil & bite mouth guards; fit them with the  lower jaw pushed forward (check out their cool video). This way, when there is a blow to the jaw, the mouthguard can serve as a shock absorber keeping the lower jaw from being jammed backwards into the skull.

You can lead a horse to water…so I am convinced of the benefits of properly fitted mouth guards. Is it too late to convince our teens? Suggestions Welcome.