It’s National Facial Protection Month! No … that might not be a hashtag you see on Twitter or Instagram (there’s a day, week, or month for everything now, it seems), but it’s one we celebrate here at Silver Leaf Dentistry. In fact, we care about facial protection all year long at our Longmont, CO family dentist office. It’s why we encourage every child and adult to wear a custom mouthguard during sports.

To schedule a custom fitting for an athletic mouthguard with Dr. Wallin, call 720-504-2539 today. Then check out more information below on just what activities might be safer with a mouthguard – and why you should think this simple piece of sports equipment is so important.

Get An Athletic Mouthguard If You’re Involved In Any Of These Activities

You might think it’s pretty obvious which sports require or at least recommend a mouthguard. You’d be right if you guessed basketball, football, baseball, and soccer. But did you ever consider a mouthguard for mountain biking? You do wear a helmet to protect your head for that, right?

If you’re involved in any activity (notice we said activity, not sport) that an injury to the face and/or head is possible – from a fall, contact with another player, or a flying object like a ball – then you should highly consider an athletic mouthguard. It’s a tiny investment that can pay big dividends.

Aside from the obvious ones we listed above, we’ve encouraged our patients to wear mouthguards for these activities, though you may think of more:

  • Volleyball
  • Lacrosse (required)
  • Rugby
  • Gymnastics
  • Rollerblading or skating
  • Hockey (required)
  • Skiing
  • Mountain biking
  • Snowboarding
  • Horseback riding
  • Tennis and racquetball
  • Softball

If you wear braces, it’s especially important to protect your gums and cheeks from an accident. Our custom mouthguards can be made to fit mouths with orthodontic work to help prevent injury.

Avoid Dental Emergencies & Dilemmas

Our office loves our patients, but if we don’t have to see you for more than your regular checkups, then that likely means you have great oral health! However, dental emergencies can happen to all of us, no matter how careful we are.

In many cases, though, dental injuries from sports can be prevented or at least be less serious with a well-fitting mouthguard. Mouthguards can even help lessen the impact of a concussion.

A dental emergency means you lose time out of your day, possibly more than one day depending on the damage. It means money to pay for repairs, as well as pain, a damaged-looking smile, and even permanent changes like loss of teeth. Let us help you avoid all the pain and troubles with one quick visit to our office for a mouthguard fitting.

Take A Look At These Shocking Mouthguard Stats

Here are a few stats you should consider about protecting your kids’ smiles (or your smile) with a custom mouthguard:

  • According to the ADA, athletes who don’t wear mouthguards are up to 60 times more likely to incur dental damage.
  • Recent studies have shown that no store-bought mouthguards have met the ADA’s expectations in offering proper protection upon impact.
  • It’s estimated that as many as 1 out of 3 dental accidents are from sports.
  • More than 5 million teeth are knocked out each year because of sports, which costs half a billion dollars yearly to replace.
  • Regarding specific sports for high schoolers, according to the article “Sports-Related Dental Injuries and Sports Dentistry” compiled by dental professionals:
    • Even though football requires mouthguards, only 2 out of three high school football players actually wear them.
    • Only 7 percent of soccer players wear them.
    • Only 7 percent of baseball and softball players wear them.
    • According to recent data, basketball has the most dental injuries because of contact with other players.
  • Dental professionals agree that all high-impact activities and sports should be participated in with a mouthguard. This includes the Academy for Sports Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Association of Orthodontists, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and the American Dental Association.
  • Bicycles cause more dental trauma for kids than any other consumer product.

Don’t Forget To Protect Your Smile!

Sure, you might see more #NationalPetDay or #NationalSuperheroDay hashtags this month than #NationalFacialProtectionMonth, but don’t forget the importance of protecting the smiles you love. Our job is to help you and your family keep your smiles healthy for life – and that involves more than just preventing cavities.

To get a custom mouthguard for any family member, call Dr. Wallin today at 720-504-2539, or request an appointment online.