With spring here, children are taking to the fields and playing spring sports again – if they haven’t already. Before your little athlete takes the field, parents need to think about equipping them with a mouth guard.

Mouth guards help protection your children’s teeth from flying objects, namely baseballs, softballs, soccer balls, tennis balls, basketballs and anything else you can think of. While these sports are fun to play, one bad catch can crack or chip your child’s teeth, requiring sometimes-expensive dental procedures.

April was National Facial Protection Month, an awareness campaign from the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. “Many oral and facial injuries can be easily prevented with the use of sports safety equipment like helmets and mouth guards,” the organization wrote on its information page.

Mouth guards are particularly easy to use. Costing only a few dollars, they can be purchased at any sporting goods store, along with large national retailers like Target and Walmart. All parents need to do is boil them in water, softening them to be put in a child’s mouth where they can mold to your child’s teeth and create a perfect fit.

From then on, the mouth guard will protect your child’s teeth while on the field. Mouth guards prevent many injuries that could otherwise be prevented. They may also make your child feel a little bit more tough, giving them an added piece of equipment that lets them know it’s time to play.

Of course, mouth guards are also for more than just teeth, and studies have shown that wearing mouth guards can cut an athlete’s risk of concussion by more than half. For even more on the concussion protection offered by mouth guards, check out this blog from DearDoctor.com.

At Brockport Dental, we want to treat children with healthy teeth, and we never like to see a child come in with a broken tooth that may need a root canal or other invasive procedures. We’d rather see a child who has worn a mouth guard, taken the time to brush and has a beautiful smile. If you have any questions about mouth guards, call us or ask your child’s dentist at their next appointment. Schedule your next visit online now, or call us today at 585-589-0000.