Sports mouthguards

Sports Mouthguards

Smile Protection For Your Athlete

You only get one smile—why not keep it safe? If your child plays a sport, we recommend they wear a mouthguard. At Marc A. Minch, DMD, these devices are custom-made, meaning each device is individually created to fit your child’s mouth and their mouth only. When worn correctly and consistently, they can protect your child’s teeth, jaws, lips, cheeks and gums from injury so they can focus on playing the sports they love.

How Mouthguards Can Help Reduce The Risk Of Injuries

When it comes to playing sports, accidents happen. By wearing a mouthguard, you can minimize the damage done to your child. These appliances work by acting as a protective barrier for the teeth that also cushion the mouth. By absorbing an impact or force and redistributing it safely, they help reduce the likelihood of common injuries to the teeth, mouth and jaws including:

  • Knocked-out teeth: Sports mouthguards help stabilize teeth, therefore reducing the chance of a tooth becoming dislodged during a collision.
  • Chipped teeth: By absorbing the force of an impact and redistributing it, they can help prevent teeth from getting chipped or cracked.
  • Jaw injuries: By providing support to the jaw, they can help minimize jaw injuries, which can be serious.
  • Lip, cheek, tongue and gum trauma: Acting as a cushion to the mouth, sports mouthguards can help prevent cuts and bruises in these areas of the mouth.

What Sports Require A Mouthguard?

According to the CDC, sports are responsible for over 5 million mouth and tooth injuries a year. In order to keep teeth safe, we recommend that children who play contact sports, such as boxing, ice hockey, skiing, lacrosse and football, which have a higher chance of injury, wear a mouthguard. However, we may recommend investing in a sports mouthguard for your child even if they play a limited contact sport, such as soccer, basketball, baseball and more. If you have questions or concerns about if your child should wear one, don’t hesitate to ask us.

Creating Your Child’s Custom Sports Mouthguard

Making the device starts by taking a digital impression of your child’s teeth using our advanced digital scanning technology. Using special superheated plastic molded to fit your child’s smile, our team will fabricate the device using this impression. This will ensure it is tailored to meet your child’s unique smile, even if your child wears an orthodontic appliance. Before leaving our office with their new sports mouthguard, we will make sure it fits snugly and comfortably in their mouth.

Advantages Of Custom Mouthguards vs. Store Bought Mouthguards

At Marc A. Minch, DMD, we believe that personalized dental care is always better! Custom sports mouthguards offer several advantages over store-bought, or over-the-counter, ones. Some of these advantages include:

Since our custom sports mouthguards are made from a mold of your child’s teeth, we ensure a perfect fit every time. This makes them more comfortable to wear, as they conform precisely to the shape of the mouth.

Because they fit snugly, they provide superior protection against impacts, reducing the risk of dental injuries and trauma.

Made from high-quality materials, they are more durable and long-lasting, making them a better long-term investment. Store bought ones, on the other hand, are made with weaker materials and may wear out faster and need to be replaced sooner.

While initially more expensive, their durability and effectiveness can make them more cost-effective over time. Store bought options may be cheaper upfront but require more frequent replacements as well as less protection.

They can be tailored to fit specific needs, such as patients with braces and other orthodontic appliances or certain specialized sports. Custom sports mouthguards can also be customized with colors, logos, or other personal preferences to make them more fun!

Couple with healthy teeth smiling on beach

Health-Centered Dental Care

In Southeast Florida

We are proud to provide compassionate and personalized care with a gentle touch. Dr. Minch, Dr. Newton and our team use a health-centered and prevention-based approach to give you a healthy smile with an emphasis on sleep health.