Does your child play contact sports like football, lacrosse, or hockey? Is your child experiencing tooth pain from clenching their teeth? At Children’s Dental Specialties, we offer mouthguards in Worcester, MA, for children who play sports or require protection from teeth clenching and grinding. Mouthguards are key pediatric dental treatments that help prevent injury or wear to the natural smile.
The Benefits of Mouthguards for Children in Worcester, MA
Wearing a mouthguard can protect the smile. We offer custom sports mouthguards and TMJ mouthguards in our office to help children prevent damage to their teeth.
Custom sports mouthguards provide:
- Comfort and protection against hits to teeth or orthodontic appliances
- Ability to speak and drink
- No need to bite down or clench the teeth to keep in place
- Fun, bright colors
Even children who participate in low-contact or even no-impact sports can benefit from a sports mouthguard. Though they might not get hit in the mouth by another player, there’s a chance they can come into contact with a ball, sports equipment, or the ground. Wearing a mouthguard can prevent broken, chipped, and lost teeth or damage to braces.
Patients with bruxism benefit from custom-made mouthguards worn during the night. These nightguards:
- Alleviate jaw pressure
- Prevent tooth wear and injuries
- Combat symptoms like headaches
Teeth clenching and grinding, also known as bruxism, often occurs unconsciously. Bruxism is a common symptom of TMJ disorders that create discomfort in the teeth, face, and jaw. Wearing a nightguard during sleep can also stop additional symptoms like jaw pain, headaches, and tooth wear.
Treatment with Different Types of Mouthguards
Our dental office works with local dental laboratories to create custom mouthguards. We take intraoral scans, a modern alternative to traditional dental impressions, to capture an image of the smile. The scans do not require goopy, messy material. After we send dental impressions of teeth, lab technicians create the mouthguard. Sports mouthguards are made of rubbery plastic material that covers the front of the teeth. TMJ or bruxism mouthguards are made of hard acrylic that can cover the upper or lower teeth, creating a barrier that protects the enamel.
During a second appointment, your child will try on their new dental appliance. We may adjust the nightguard as needed to ensure that it is comfortable and fits properly. We will also provide you with mouthguard cleaning instructions.
Protect Your Child’s Smile
Does your child need a sports mouthguard or bruxism nightguard? Call Children’s Dental Specialties today at (508) 625-5534. You can also request a dental consultation with us on our website.