{"id":111,"date":"2022-08-05T17:21:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-05T17:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/?p=111"},"modified":"2022-12-16T17:22:39","modified_gmt":"2022-12-16T17:22:39","slug":"why-custom-mouthguards-are-important-for-children-who-play-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/2022\/08\/05\/why-custom-mouthguards-are-important-for-children-who-play-sports\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Getting a Custom Mouthguard for the New School Year!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"210\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/AdobeStock_293237077__1671211116_56444-300x210.jpg\" alt=\"a child wearing a customized mouthguard while playing a sport\" class=\"wp-image-112\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/AdobeStock_293237077__1671211116_56444-300x210.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/AdobeStock_293237077__1671211116_56444-768x538.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/AdobeStock_293237077__1671211116_56444.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The new school year brings a lot of excitement. In the midst of buying supplies and clothes, one important thing can go overlooked: a mouthguard. If your child plays sports, you want to do all you can to protect their smile. After all, of the 30 million kids that participate in athletics, only 41% use protective gear for their mouths. So, it\u2019s not hard to see why more than 5 million teeth are knocked out every year! Read on to learn more about the importance of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/childrens-dentistry-cumberland.html\">customized mouthguard<\/a> for your child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Are Mouthguards Important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A mouthguard is an oral device that fits over the teeth to protect them. This small, plastic guard should be considered just as important as a helmet or padding when playing sports. Their wide range of purposes includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Shielding the teeth: <\/strong>Mouthguards protect teeth from being chipped, broken, or knocked out when hard contact is made with the face. It ensures keeping them safe and in place.<\/li><li><strong>Protecting the upper and lower arches from each other:<\/strong> By creating a barrier between the upper and lower teeth, a mouthguard keeps them from crashing into each other on impact.<\/li><li><strong>Minimizing the risk of dental concussion: <\/strong>Due to their u-shape, a mouthguard helps redistribute the force of an impact, which can potentially prevent a dental concussion (a tooth loosened but not knocked out).<\/li><li><strong>Shielding the soft tissues:<\/strong> When playing sports, it\u2019s important to not only protect the teeth, but also the lips, cheeks, and tongue from getting bitten or cut by the teeth during an impact. A mouthguard shields the entire mouth.<\/li><li><strong>Reducing the risk of concussion:<\/strong> Some studies show that wearing a mouthguard can lower the risk of developing a concussion during a sports injury.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Benefits of a Custom-Fit Mouthguard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a wide variety of mouthguards. Many can be bought at local sports goods stores or pharmacies. While these can be convenient options, over-the-counter mouthguards aren\u2019t custom-fit, which can increase the likelihood of injuries. Additionally, they are not made of durable materials, so they don\u2019t often provide the best protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best option is to invest in a customized mouthguard from your child\u2019s dentist. It will be made of high-quality, comfortable materials and fit your child\u2019s mouth perfectly for maximum protection. You can rest easy knowing your little one\u2019s smile will remain complete and healthy for the entire sports season!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Playing sports is so beneficial for your child, but you also want to be sure their smile is always protected. A custom mouthguard will help them keep their pearly whites safe while enjoying their activities!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Saba Abernethy and her team at Diamond Hill Dental make your smile their top priority! She earned a Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry, a designation only 6% of dentists have, and is a member of several dental associations. As a mother of two, she understands the importance of keeping your child\u2019s smile healthy, which is why she provides a range of dental services (including custom mouthguards)! To schedule an appointment, contact her through her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/contact.html\">website<\/a> or call <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=diamond+hill+dental+cumberland+ri&amp;rlz=1C1RXQR_enUS1026US1026&amp;oq=diamond+hill+dental+RI&amp;aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i22i30l3j0i390l3j69i60.8301j0j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8\">(401) 333-2700<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The new school year brings a lot of excitement. In the midst of buying supplies and clothes, one important thing can go overlooked: a mouthguard. If your child plays sports, you want to do all you can to protect their smile. After all, of the 30 million kids that participate in athletics, only 41% use [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":113,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111\/revisions\/113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondhilldental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}