From soccer to T-ball, children all around the Lowcountry are hitting the sports fields for after-school practices and Saturday matches.
Parents spend plenty of time getting their children registered for youth sports programs, buying uniforms, packing snacks and arranging carpools to and from practice. Moms feel prepared and ready for the spring sports season. But they may have neglected a small - but critical - piece of equipment: a mouthguard.
Mouthguards are important in any sport, especially a contact sport like football and soccer or even baseball or volleyball where there’s a chance a ball, bat or teammate could collide with your child’s mouth. And if your child has protruding front teeth, the potential for damage is even greater.
A recent study published in the American Journal of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics reported that children ages 6 to 10 with severely protruding upper front teeth are at increased risk for dental trauma.
The study of young children found about 1 in 3 children who were treated for severely protruding teeth are less likely to experience dental trauma, such as a broken or knocked out tooth.
Children with protruding teeth certainly benefit from a free exam with an orthodontist to determine if early orthodontic intervention is needed. Children who have protruding teeth don’t have the appropriate lip coverage to protect their teeth from a blow or a fall - whether on the sports field, in PE class or at the park playground.
Losing or damaging a front teeth can result in lifelong dental problems and the efforts to replace a missing tooth often have to be repeated over the child’s lifetime.
Correcting protruding teeth at an early age can save children from tooth damage while improving their appearance, bite and overall dental health.
All children engaged in a sporting activity should wear a proper mouthguard.
(See this list of American Dental Association accepted mouthguards.)
Patients at Charleston Orthodontic Specialists who play sports are given a free mouthguard. If your child has protruding teeth, set up a free exam to determine if orthodontic treatment is needed; call 843-642-8100.
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