It has been estimated that 30 million children in the US participate in organized sport programs. The risk of dental trauma increases during sports participation. Baseball and basketball have been shown to have the highest incidence of sports-related dental injuries in children 7 to 17 years of age. More specifically, kids who are 12 years or younger get most dental injuries from playing baseball and older kids, 13 to 17 years old, frequently get dental injuries from playing basketball.
So what can you do to prevent serious dental injuries? Consider wearing a mouthguard. The mouthguard helps to prevent fractures and dislocations of teeth by providing cushioning and by dissipating the force of impact, reducing the force which is transferred to the teeth.
Did you know that there are different types of mouthguards available? You can easily purchase over-the-counter stock or boil-and-bite mouthguards, or ask your dentist for a custom-fabricated mouthguard for maximum protection and retention.
Next time when you come visit us, ask about different types of mouthguard and see which one is right for you.
Sincerely,
Dr. Han Yi
Pediatric Dentist, Franklin & Needham offices