Mouth Guards
A mouth guard is a protective device or appliance
A mouth guard is a protective device or appliance for the mouth that covers your child’s teeth and gums to prevent and reduce injury to the teeth, gums, arches, and lips. Mouth guards are dental appliances that are recommended for a variety of oral health issues, the most common being if your child is experiencing TMJ/TMD or Bruxism (teeth grinding). Mouth guards are suggested if your child engages in sports or intense physical activity regularly. Mouth guards are an effective method for the prevention of damage to their jaw, teeth, and overall oral health. If your child has common symptoms associated with TMJ/TMD or Bruxism, then using a mouth guard can be greatly beneficial. It can alleviate headaches, chronic jaw pain, and a general feeling of restlessness caused by disrupted sleep.
You want your child to stay healthy and active, which is why you might encourage your child to participate in sports. Without proper preventive care, dental injuries can sideline your child for the season or damage their mouth indefinitely. Oral lacerations, knocked-out or chipped teeth, and concussions are common in contact sports, which is why we recommend custom athletic mouth guards for children who participate in these extra-curricular activities. The entire staff at Smile Time Kids LOVES children. We enjoy their budding personalities and their constant search for answers. We are a compassionate, caring, and patient team when working with your child. Their young smiles are important to us. Call us today at 765-373-3100 with any questions you have regarding your child or stop by Smile Time Kids at 1002 Oak Drive, Richmond, IN, 47374.
We are a compassionate, caring, and patient team when working with your child. Their young smiles are important to us.
Call 765-373-3100 or contact our office today via online contact form. Our office is located at 1002 Oak Drive, Richmond, IN 47374. Let us help keep your child healthy together.
Types of Athletic Mouth Guards
Although many parents opt for mouth guards, few realize the importance of investing in a professionally made, custom mouth guard. Here are the different types of athletic mouth guards and why it is in your best interest to have your child fitted for a custom version as soon as possible at Smile Time Kids.
- Stock- “Stock” mouth guards are the cheapest variety of mouth guards, with some versions available for only a few dollars online. These mouth guards come pre-formed and ready to wear, but are not customizable, which means that they might not fit perfectly. Because stock mouth guards can be bulky, uncomfortable, and make breathing difficult, you may find that your child refuses to wear their guard like they should, which will put your child at risk for sports injuries.
- Boil and bite- Boil and bite mouth protectors are essentially a stock mouth guard that allows you to customize the device slightly. After the protector is boiled in water, it softens so that your child can bite down on the guard and create a personalized impression of their teeth. Although these protectors offer a better fit than traditional stock protectors, they do not offer the same comfort and stability as custom varieties.
- Custom-made- Custom mouth guards are created by Smile Time Kids from impressions of your child’s teeth and mouth. These impressions allow a dental lab to create a protector that will fit the contours of your child’s arch and smile. Custom mouth guards can also be personalized based on your child’s sport of choice, with heavier-duty varieties available for full-contact sports and slimmer versions for other activities. Custom mouth guards are exceptionally comfortable and stable, allowing players the opportunity to focus on the game instead of worrying about their mouth guard being knocked out of place. Custom mouth guards have also shown to be more effective than stock or boil-and-bite varieties. In fact, one research study that followed 412 high school football players found that 8.3% of the group who used stock mouth guards suffered concussions, while only 3.6% of the players using custom mouth guards experienced them. We are pleased to be able to offer custom mouth guards to protect your child’s smile, and their dental health.
Mouth Guards Your Child Will Love Wearing
Your child is more likely to wear a mouth guard that fits properly and that reflects their personal sense of style. For these reasons, Smile Time Kids offers a wide array of mouth guard varieties. Options include performance enhancing mouth guards from Under Armour® and varieties that can be customized based on your child’s favorite colors or sports teams. No matter what your child decides to go with, Smile Time Kids will inspect the fit and function of the finished guard to make sure that it will work perfectly.
Make an Appointment for Your Child Today!
Smile Time Kids would like to share the recommendations of The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. They suggest bringing your child in for their first dental appointment as soon as their first tooth erupts or by the time your child is one, whichever occurs first. We will work with your child and treat them like family. We love happy and healthy children. Afterwards, children should visit at normal intervals just like you would schedule your own dental checkups. Call 765-373-3100 today to make an appointment with Smile Time Kids. Our office is located at 1002 Oak Drive, Richmond, IN 47374. Let us keep your child healthy together. Contact us today to get your child the protection they need with a custom mouth guard.
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Your child should see the dentist at the age of 1 year, or within 6 months of the appearance of his or her first tooth. A quick checkup will be done and x-rays taken to ensure the baby teeth are growing properly. If your child has multiple teeth already, they'll be counted and quickly cleaned.