Pediatric Sports Guards

Our dentist and team are committed to helping your child enjoy a healthy, beautiful smile. If your child plays a sport, our dentist may recommend that they be fitted for a custom athletic mouth guard. Also known as sports guards, these oral appliances are designed to protect your child’s smile while they play. Custom mouth guards prevent injuries such as knocked out and chipped teeth, as well as injuries to the soft tissues of the mouth, such as the tongue, lips, cheeks and gums. Sports guards also help to reduce the likelihood of a jaw or neck injury.

Sports guards are recommended gear for any athletic activity and are often required equipment for high-contact sports such as wrestling, football, hockey, rugby, soccer and basketball. Your child’s sports guard will be designed to fit comfortably and provide the maximum amount of protection.

Pediatric Night Guards

A night guard is a special type of mouth guard that is used to treat bruxism, or teeth grinding and clenching. This oral appliance works to stop the teeth from touching and prevent damage from the pressure of grinding and clenching while asleep. Your child’s night guard will be custom-made to fit their mouth so that they can sleep peacefully while also protecting their teeth.

Common signs of nighttime teeth clenching and grinding include:

• Chronic jaw pain, facial pain and ear pain
• Awakening with a tired or tight feeling in the jaw
• Frequent tension headaches and migraines
• Excessive tooth wear, leading to chipped, flattened, cracked or very worn teeth
• Extremely worn tooth enamel, exposing the inner layers of the tooth

• Indentations on the side of the tongue
• Increased tooth sensitivity

We invite you to call us today to schedule an appointment at our office and learn more about how your child can benefit from wearing a mouth guard. We look forward to helping you care for your child’s smile!