Dental injuries are common in collision or contact sports and recreational activities. All ages, genders, and skill levels are at risk. Studies have shown the injury risk is 1.5-2.0 times greater when not wearing a custom-fitted mouthguard!
Mouthguards make sense for preventative care, but children engaged in sports are not wearing them. Research conducted by Delta Dental discovered nearly seven out of 10 American children do not wear a mouthguard at youth sports practices or games for baseball, soccer, and basketball. While mouthguards are required for football, only seven out of 10 caregivers (70 percent) report that their child wears a mouth guard at both practice and games. Not wearing a mouthguard at practices poses risks for an athlete. According to Safe Kids USA, most organized sports-related injuries occur during practice rather than games!
If you are a parent, you may want your child to wear a mouthguard (especially if they have braces) but have difficulty convincing them to do so. Our Hanneman Dustrude dental team has had success in helping parents encourage their children to wear them because they not only fit well, but they look cool. Our custom-fitted mouthguards are available in the colors of the local high schools including Oshkosh West, North, Omro, and Lourdes, which is especially appealing to our athletes.
If your child does wear a mouthguard already, you can help encourage dental health by taking a photo of your athlete showing it off. Create a testimonial for other parents to hear as they describe the fit and comfort of their guard. If they can show their peers it’s OK to do it and it functions well, the user will grow. If they received their custom-fitted mouthguard from us, we will display it on our Wall of Fame!
Hanneman Dustrude Dental supports Oshkosh area athletics and all the associated benefits of competing on a team. Whether you’re playing football, heading a soccer ball, driving the lane on a basketball court, or just running around with friends, dental injuries can happen. It’s our mission to help prevent those than can be prevented with a mouthguard.
Call us today at (920) 233-6001 to find out more about our custom-fitted mouthguards!