Okemos, Lansing, East Lansing MI
Sports are a great way for your child to stay active, burn energy and have fun all while learning about teamwork and sportsmanship. But physical activity also increases the risk of injury, including to your child’s mouth and teeth. Whether it’s football, soccer, basketball or baseball/softball, it’s important to protect your child’s smile.
According to one national study, about 30 million U.S. children and teens participate in sports, and more than five million teeth are knocked out of socket or completely out of the mouth every year. These injuries result in a whopping $500 million in cost for aftercare. Treatment over a lifetime for a tooth that’s been knocked out of socket can range from $5,000 to $20,000 per tooth according to the study. This doesn’t factor in any pay lost when caretaking parents must take time off work for emergency or follow-up dental care.
Like many other health-related diseases and injuries, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to protecting your child’s oral health. After all, it’s usually a lot less expensive to protect teeth than to repair them once they’re injured.
Custom sports guard
The most effective way to protect your child’s teeth is with a custom mouthguard that can easily be made in our Okemos family dentist office in just one visit. These mouthguards are usually made from comfortable but durable plastic and, when worn as directed, will reduce the risk of your child injuring or permanently damaging a tooth and the risk of injuring soft tissue like busting their lips, cutting their gum tissue, and biting their tongue. Mouthguards are especially necessary for children or teens who are under the care of an orthodontist for braces because a mild injury to the face could result in oral tissue lacerations.
Custom-made vs. store-bought guards
Using store-bought sports guards is better than using nothing at all to protect your child’s mouth during physical activity. They’re inexpensive, but they’re “one size fits all,” making them feel overall uncomfortable in the mouth. This makes it difficult to speak or breathe easily. But when custom-made by a dentist, the sports guard will perfectly fit your child’s mouth, comfortably hugging the teeth while also allowing your child to breathe and speak like normal.
Be prepared for an injury
We don’t want to think about our children being injured, but we can be far quicker to act if we’re prepared in the event of an emergency. Know the phone number and address to our Lansing area dentist, and be sure to carry your dental insurance card with you wherever you go.
Mouthguards for Kids in East Lansing and Okemos
Sports-related injuries can be prevented with a custom-made oral mouthguard from Tenaglia Smiles. Our team would be happy to have a consultation with you and your child about how this quick and painless process can prevent painful injuries down the road. Call us at (517) 940-8684, or reach out to us online today.