Hey Sports Fans! With Fall right around the corner, ’tis the time to start thinking about preparing for… no, not school! Fall Sports! More specifically, does your child or teen have the proper gear for those contact sports: football, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse and the worst, trampoline horse play? Yep, anytime kids of various sizes, weights, and experience join together you can be sure injuries will occur. Statistically about 7-10% of emergency room visits include head trauma, and the National Sports Foundation reports 15 million broken teeth and 5 million knocked out teeth per year! Which sports are the biggest offenders? Not football or hockey – mouth guards are mandatory for those sports. Basketball and baseball account for over half of dental injuries. Only 6% of those players wear mouth guards since they are not required.

Mouthguards that protect the teeth come in three types: stock, boil and fit, or custom made. Stock mouthguards come in all colors and costs, but they are not custom shaped to the teeth. They don’t work that well because kids have a hard time keeping them in the mouth. For various creative reasons they are often left in the gym bag. Stock mouthguards are best for kids wearing braces since they can fit around the braces to give some level of protection. » Read more: Does Your Child Or Teen Have the Proper Gear For Those Contact Sports?