As temperatures warm and spring sports kick into high gear across Dallas–Fort Worth, emergency rooms and dental offices see a predictable surge in patients—children and teens suffering from preventable facial and dental injuries. April is National Facial Protection Month, a reminder from leading dental and pediatric organizations that proper protective gear can spare your child from painful injuries, expensive treatments, and lasting damage to their smile.
The statistics are staggering. An estimated 22,000 dental injuries occur annually in children under 18, and sports-related accidents account for a significant portion of these cases. By age 14, approximately 30 percent of children have already experienced some form of dental injury. Yet despite this reality, more than a third of young athletes never wear a mouthguard while playing sports—even though their parents believe they should.
At Active Dental, we see the consequences of unprotected play regularly. A single collision on the soccer field, an elbow during basketball, or a line drive in baseball can result in chipped, cracked, or completely knocked-out teeth. These injuries don’t just cause immediate pain; they can require years of follow-up treatment and thousands of dollars in dental care.
The Real Cost of Skipping Protection
When we talk about dental injuries, we’re not discussing minor inconveniences. Sports-related dental trauma can have serious, long-lasting consequences for growing children:
- Immediate Impact: Broken, chipped, or avulsed (knocked-out) teeth require emergency treatment. Soft tissue injuries to the lips, cheeks, and tongue often accompany dental trauma, adding to pain and recovery time.
- Financial Burden: The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry estimates that dental injuries cost American families between $500 million and $1.8 billion annually. A single knocked-out tooth can require treatment costing thousands of dollars over time.
- Long-Term Complications: Injuries to developing teeth can affect permanent teeth waiting to emerge. Root damage may not become apparent for months or years after the initial injury.
- Missed Activities: Sports-related injuries result in an estimated 20 million lost school days each year. Beyond academics, injured athletes miss practices, games, and the social connections that make youth sports valuable.
The good news? Many of these injuries are entirely preventable with proper protective equipment.
Why Mouthguards Matter More Than Parents Realize
The American Dental Association reports that mouthguards prevent an estimated 200,000 dental injuries every year. Athletes who don’t wear mouthguards are 60 times more likely to damage their teeth than those who do. Yet mouthguard use remains surprisingly low in many sports, particularly those where it isn’t mandated.
Mouthguards work by creating a barrier between the upper and lower teeth and distributing the force of impact across a larger area. A properly fitted mouthguard protects against:
- Tooth Fractures and Chips: The cushioning effect absorbs and disperses impact energy that would otherwise concentrate on individual teeth.
- Tooth Avulsion: A mouthguard helps hold teeth in place during impact, reducing the likelihood of teeth being completely knocked out.
- Soft Tissue Injuries: By covering the teeth, mouthguards prevent the sharp edges of teeth from cutting into lips, cheeks, and tongue during collisions.
- Jaw Injuries: Quality mouthguards help stabilize the jaw and may reduce the severity of jaw fractures and temporomandibular joint injuries.
- Potential Concussion Reduction: While research is ongoing, some studies suggest that mouthguards may help reduce the risk or severity of concussions by absorbing some impact force.
Not All Mouthguards Are Created Equal
Parents often grab a mouthguard from the sporting goods store, boil it in water, and consider their child protected. While any mouthguard offers some protection compared to none, the level of protection varies dramatically based on the type:
Stock Mouthguards: These pre-formed, ready-to-wear mouthguards are the least expensive option but offer the poorest fit and least protection. They often feel bulky, make breathing and speaking difficult, and provide minimal shock absorption because they can’t be adjusted to fit individual mouths.
Boil-and-Bite Mouthguards: The most common type found in sporting goods stores, these are softened in hot water and then molded to the teeth by biting down. They offer better fit than stock guards but still can’t match the protection of custom options. The material often thins during the molding process, reducing effectiveness.
Custom-Fitted Mouthguards: Made by your dentist from an impression of your child’s teeth, custom mouthguards provide superior fit, comfort, and protection. Because they’re designed specifically for your child’s mouth, they stay in place during activity, allow normal breathing and speaking, and provide consistent thickness for optimal shock absorption.
The comfort difference matters more than parents might expect. A mouthguard that feels awkward or interferes with breathing ends up in a gym bag instead of in the athlete’s mouth. Custom mouthguards are far more likely to be worn consistently because they feel natural and don’t impede performance.
Which Sports Require Protection?
Football and hockey mandate mouthguard use for good reason—they’re high-contact sports with significant injury risk. But dental injuries occur across virtually all sports, including many parents don’t typically consider dangerous:
- Basketball: One of the highest-risk sports for dental injuries despite being “non-contact.” Flying elbows, collisions going for rebounds, and falls cause numerous mouth injuries each season.
- Soccer: Headers, collisions with other players, and contact with the ball all pose risks to unprotected teeth.
- Baseball and Softball: Ball-to-face contact causes the majority of dental injuries in these sports, making protection essential for batters and fielders alike.
- Gymnastics: Falls and contact with equipment create injury opportunities that mouthguards can help mitigate.
- Skateboarding and Cycling: Falls are inevitable in these activities, and facial contact with pavement can cause devastating dental injuries.
- Martial Arts: Even with controlled contact, kicks and punches create significant dental injury risk.
If your child participates in any activity where falls, collisions, or contact with equipment might occur, a mouthguard deserves consideration.
Caring for Your Child’s Mouthguard
A mouthguard can only protect teeth if it’s properly maintained and replaced when needed:
Rinse the mouthguard with cold water or mouthwash before and after each use. Periodically clean it with a toothbrush and toothpaste, then rinse thoroughly.
Store the mouthguard in a ventilated container to allow air circulation and prevent bacterial growth.
Never leave it in direct sunlight or hot environments, which can warp the material.
Check regularly for signs of wear, holes, or loosening fit. Mouthguards lose effectiveness as they break down and should be replaced each sports season or sooner if damaged.
Bring the mouthguard to dental appointments so your dentist can assess its condition and fit, particularly important for growing children whose mouths change rapidly.
Get Your Child Fitted Before the Season Heats Up
Spring sports are already underway across North Texas. Don’t wait for an injury to recognize the value of proper protection. The team at Active Dental can create a custom mouthguard that fits your child’s mouth perfectly, providing maximum protection without sacrificing comfort or performance.
With five family-friendly locations in Plano, Irving, Flower Mound, Frisco, and Prosper, we make it convenient to get your young athlete protected. Our offices feature children’s play areas and a welcoming atmosphere that puts kids at ease, and our extended hours accommodate busy family schedules.
This National Facial Protection Month, give your child the protection their smile deserves. A custom mouthguard is a small investment that can prevent painful injuries, costly treatments, and lasting damage to developing teeth.
Contact us today to schedule your child’s custom mouthguard fitting and keep their smile safe all season long.
Posted on behalf of
