Children’s mouthguards in Australia are dental devices designed to protect their mouths, teeth, gums, and tongues. 

Custom Mouthguards vs. Over-the-Counter Mouthguards

You have two options for acquiring a mouthguard for your child. If you live in Brisbane and have access to a Brisbane dental service, you can get a mouthguard for your child from them. 

One more option is to go to a store that sells these devices. However, there are downsides to that. 

Most of the time, mouthguards from stores are ill-fitting, so children’s dentistry services often advise clients to obtain mouthguards from a dentist instead. 

You do not want your child to use an ill-fitting mouthguard that is not comfortable to his mouth and may fall out at an important moment. 

Any Brisbane dentist thoughtful to children’s welfare would always recommend using mouthguards that fit perfectly and will not loosen.

Benefits and Importance of Custom-Made Mouthguards

Although you will generally need to pay more for a custom-made mouthguard for your child, there are several benefits that you can get from it, including: 

Peace of mind 

A loosely-fitted mouthguard on your child will always be a cause for concern. But one created based on the impression of your child’s teeth will ensure that you have peace of mind over what your child is wearing on his mouth. 

Maximum protection

Choosing a custom-made mouthguard for your child is a way to ensure maximum protection. The device will not only protect the mouth from injury but also keep other oral devices your child may be using. 

An experienced children’s dentist in Brisbane will consider that factor when making the mouthguard for your child. Knowing that a well-made custom mouthguard will provide added protection for the following oral devices: 

  • Brace brackets and wires
  • Retainers
  • Implant-supported dentures

Plus, a quality custom-designed mouthguard can help buffer the impact between the lower jaw and upper jaw, which is great for those engaged in sports. 

Tailor your mouthguard to the thickness you want

Another benefit of having a custom mouthguard is the ability to tailor the thickness of the mouthguard based on your child’s needs. 

Your kids’ dentist in Brisbane will carefully determine the right thickness that will not only be comfortable but will also be appropriate for the activities that you allow your child to engage in. 

Highly-personalised approach

You can choose your favourite colour to go with your custom mouthguard. If your child wants to embed a sticker on it, that’s totally possible. Names can also be embedded on a custom mouthguard. 

Personalisation will also help you avoid using another person’s mouthguard by mistake. 

Long-term investment

Over-the-counter mouthguards can lead to a waste of your money in the long run. That is because of their uneven wear and need to be replaced regularly.  

In contrast, the wear and tear of custom mouthguards are slow. Because the mouthguard fits the user perfectly, there is less friction over unnecessary movements that cause these devices to wear fast. 

The perfect fit is the foremost advantage that can be made possible only with the use of technology. 

Your pediatric dentist in Brisbane may use video-scanning technology that can capture all the curves and curves of the mouth and teeth of your child.

The perfectly-fitted mouthguard for your child will be printed using selective laser sintering (SLS) technology. 

Risks to Store-Bought Kid Mouthguards

Any professional pediatric dentist knows that there are risks involved for people wearing ill-fitting mouthguards, and these include: 

  • Discomfort and irritation – The mouthguard can cause more health issues because it brings discomfort instead of comfort. 
  • Jaw misalignment – An uneven contact of a mouthguard to the teeth can lead to even more clenching, grinding, and TMJ (temporomandibular joint) issues. 
  • Frequent removing of the device – Ill-fitted mouthguards move unnecessarily, which can be inconvenient to the user. When that happens, the user will feel foamy in their mouth and remove their mouthguard frequently.

However, that exposes the user to the risks associated with not wearing a mouthguard during physical activity. 

  • Impact on breathing – A mouthguard that does not fit well may hamper your breathing, which is another health hazard that people experience wearing these devices. 
  • Double the risk for injury – According to a reliable source, football players who use over-the-counter mouthguards are twice likely to end up suffering a brain injury or concussion than players who use perfectly-fitting mouthguards.

Make sure that your child is well-protected in all the areas of his life. A well-fitted mouthguard for him or her will protect him from: 

  • Oral cuts and bruising.
  • Dislocation or fracture of impacted teeth.
  • Injurious contact between opposing teeth that can cause a concussion. 
  • Night teeth grinding

Where to source mouthguard dentist service

Brisbane is home to some of the best specialist pediatric dentists in Australia. 

The best pediatric dentists use top-of-the-line dental technology, explain things clearly to clients, and put priority on patients’ wellbeing to build long-lasting relationships with them. Get your new sports mouthguard today at Whitesmile Dental Care.