It’s April, and at Carolina Braces, we are celebrating National Facial Protection Month. It may seem like a mouthful, but protecting your smile is extremely important whether you have braces or aligners. As the weather gets warmer and sports and activities pick up, mouth and head injuries increase.
Importance of Facial Protection
Helmets, goggles, and mouthguards are critical for preventing concussions, eye injuries, broken teeth, and blunt force trauma. An injury to the teeth may never fully heal, often leaving the individual with an expensive lifelong struggle. Children between the ages of 7 and 11 are most at risk for sports-related injuries to the mouth and head.
If your child is active and involved in contact sports, like football or hockey, mouthguards are nonnegotiable. But even sports like horseback riding or skateboarding, where you may fall, could benefit from oral protection. According to the American Dental Association, mouthguards help prevent up to 200,000 dental injuries a year. By ensuring your child’s teeth are protected, you could save them from expensive injuries, painful recoveries, or consequences that last a lifetime.
Sports Guards and Braces
While facial protection is for everyone, it is extra important while undergoing orthodontic treatment, such as braces. A minor collision is never good, but with braces, a minor blow can cause cuts and abrasions inside your mouth as the metal of your brackets and wires dig into your mouth’s soft tissues.
Many states mandate mouthguards for sports like football and field hockey, as athletes who do not wear a mouthguard are 60% more likely to suffer tooth damage. Mouthguards offer protection by absorbing much of the impact from a blow to the face, reducing your child’s risk of broken or cracked teeth, concussions, or injuries to the face, lips, tongue, or jaw.
A mouthguard from a sporting goods store or a boil-and-bite mouthguard are easily accessible options to protect your teeth. However, the best and most effective protection comes from a mouthguard custom-fitted by your dentist or orthodontist. There are also mouthguards specifically designed for braces or other orthodontic treatments. Ask us for some recommendations at your next appointment!
Keep your smile safe
Don’t take any risks when it comes to protecting your teeth. At Carolina Braces, we want to help you and your child get the best treatment possible and protect your teeth during treatment and beyond. Ready to take charge of your orthodontic health? Schedule a free consultation at our office today!
