April is a time to celebrate a lot of things like April Fools, spring, and flowers. It’s also recognized as National Facial Protection Month. What does this have to do with the precious smiles we care for at our Long Island pediatric dental office?
It’s estimated that two percent of all adolescents who participate in sports will sustain a facial injury severe enough to warrant medical attention. Professionally fitted mouthguards can help keep your child’s teeth and face safe from injury. Mouthguards are absolutely a crucial piece of athletic equipment that shouldn’t be overlooked.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s “Policy on Prevention of Sports-related Orofacial Injuries” attribute as many as 39% of all child dental injuries to direct hits with a ball or another player. Mouthguards can help lower this number and keep your child protected.
Mouthguards obviously serve to keep teeth from being broken, chipped, or knocked out, but did you know they can also protect the bone and tissues around the teeth and jaw and lower the chance of concussions? While that’s definitely something we can stand behind, we want to let you know that not all mouthguards are created equal.
Sure, you can head to the local sporting goods store, pick up a mouthguard, take it home, boil it, have your child bite down to mold it, and voilà! you have a mouthguard. However, what tends to happen with these boil-and-bite mouthguards is they’re chewed on, aren’t a fantastic fit, and won’t fully protect. That’s why it’s important to get a custom-made mouthguard from your pediatric dentist in Long Island.
Custom mouthguards are specifically molded to fit every contour of your child’s teeth and provide the ultimate in protection. They’re also constructed to ensure extended comfort. This means less time out of the mouth and more time in the mouth where they belong.
If your little one is gearing up to play any sort of sport this spring, schedule an appointment at our pediatric dental office in Long Island. We’re here to keep their smiles healthy, and part of keeping them healthy is keeping them protected. Don’t wait for an accident to occur, call us today.
Treating kids from Long Island, Westbury, and all of Nassau County.
