Mouth Guards for children

Mouth Guards for Children

At Admire Dental in Haltom City, TX, we understand how important it is to keep our more active patients’ teeth healthy and safe from any unforeseen accident. A mouth guard does just that! They help lower the risk of injuries to your child’s lips, tongue, face or jaw.

Mouth Guards

The Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) states that a mouthguard is an essential piece of equipment for any child taking part in a recreational or sporting activity. They are placed over the upper portion of your child’s teeth so as to protect the entire area from injury. Also, mouth guards are sometimes used to avoid tooth damage in children who grind their teeth at night. At Admire Dental, we urge our young patients to use dental mouth guards whenever they partake in any sporting activity, as they are designed to protect the teeth and reduce the degree of force from a traumatic impact. A variety of mouth guards are available such as stock mouth guards, boil and bite mouth guards and customized mouth guards.

• Stock mouth guards – Stock mouth guards are cheap, easy to fit and quick to locate at sporting goods stores. We favor this type of mouth guard the least, as it provides minimal protection, obstructs proper breathing and speaking, and tends to be very uncomfortable.
• Boil and bite mouth guards – Boil and bite mouth guards are slightly more expensive, but offer more protection and feel more comfortable in the mouth, which allows for easy breathing and speaking. They are sold in most sporting stores and are made from thermoplastic. They must be submerged in hot water to make it easy to create a custom mold of your child’s teeth by pressing them in the mouth.
• Customized mouth guards – Because these are custom-made by our dentist, they offer the best protection. The dentist first begins by making an impression of the child’s teeth, then the mouth guard is made from the mold. Customized mouth guards are more expensive and take longer to fit, but are more comfortable and fully approved by AAPD.

Night Guards

Bruxism, commonly called teeth grinding, is a well-known pediatric dental condition. It is estimated that up to 35 percent of children experience Bruxism at some point during their childhood. A night guard is a particular type of mouth guard that is used to treat Bruxism or teeth grinding. Because it occurs while you are sleeping, many people are unaware they have this condition. Some common signs of teeth clenching or grinding include: chronic jaw pain, waking up with a tight or tired feeling in the jaw, constant tension headaches and excessive tooth wear, leading to chipped, flattened, cracked or very worn teeth.

If you want to select the best mouth guard for your child, call Admire Dental today at (682) 350-9832 for a consultation.