Your Kid Needs A Mouthguard More Often Than You Think

My son is 8 years old when he hops on his friend’s hoverboard, and the two of them glide down the street like one glorious unit, sharing that little slice of plastic. They steer towards a sidewalk, but the second they hit the concrete, the machine dies, and they go flying.

A few minutes later, my son is standing in front of me in tears, lifting his chin to show me where half of his front tooth used to be.

An adult tooth.

He holds up the piece like chipped porcelain, and I wish with all of me that I could superglue it back into his mouth as I do with all our dinner dishes and coffee mugs.

Never in his whole life will that tooth grow back.

I mourn it, irrationally and immediately. Then I mourn the expense on my pocketbook to fix it.

I hate to admit this, but I waited months to book a dentist appointment, partly because we were busy and partly because I dreaded how much it would cost to fix. Besides, I kind of got used to his chipped smile.

Of course, my kid shouldn’t have been riding two to a hoverboard. But what never once crossed my mind back then was that my kid should’ve also worn a mouthguard on an electric machine. That it would've saved his adult tooth if that had been as common practice as wearing a helmet.

So I asked an orthodontist and a dentist: When should kids actually be wearing mouth guards? The answer was much broader than I expected and included far more than just contact sports.

Kids should be wearing mouthguards more than you think

We might all expect injuries from contact sports like football and hockey, but Dr. Liel Grinbaum, a pediatric dentist, says he treats many young patients for seemingly low-risk activities, such as playing on the playground, jumping on trampolines, and riding scooters.

Thanks to the rise of electric bikes, mopeds, and other motorized equipment, the risk of tooth injuries has increased, he says. (I know this firsthand.)

Basketball is another sport that’s underestimated, adds Karin Grinbaum, an orthodontist, because players put their arms up high to play defense, and “even if it’s accidental, an elbow to the face can cause a lot of damage to front teeth.”

Liel recommends wearing a mouthguard for all contact sports by the age of 7 or 8, when the adult teeth come in. “A lot of parents think mouthguards are not essential as they are ‘only’ kids and there is a rare chance of trauma,” he says. “All it takes is one out of a hundred chances, and if your child unfortunately gets hit, it can be a lifelong battle to maintain the health of the teeth after.”

So, yes, mouthguards should be worn for high-contact sports like rugby, wrestling, martial arts, lacrosse, and football. But they’re also worth considering for sports like baseball, basketball, softball, and soccer, as well as recreational sports like skateboarding, bicycling, in-line skating, and (you guessed it) hoverboarding.

For younger kids, Liel is less concerned about baby teeth, especially since this age group is less likely to tolerate wearing a mouthguard anyway.

Mouthguards are worth every penny

We’ve normalized helmets for head injuries, but dental injuries can have long-term repercussions, too — to your child’s well-being and to your bank account. Big picture: It’s cheaper to buy a mouthguard than fix damage to a permanent tooth, says Karin.

In my own experience, I paid about $200 dollars to fix the tooth. When I purchased my son a mouthguard, it was roughly $25. So the math definitely tips in favor of mouthguards.

How to choose the right mouth guard

You have three options for mouthguards: stock, boil-and-bite, and custom-fitted.

A stock mouthguard is a premade “one-size-fits-all.”

Boil-and-bite mouthguards are more “semi-custom.” You soften the U-shaped material, bite down, and let it harden. These are widely available in pharmacies and online and serve as a budget-friendly middle ground.

Some parents may opt for a fully customizable mouthguard using 3D scanners or molds. “A custom fit will seat better, not irritate the gums, and fully protect all surfaces of the teeth,” Karin says. But any mouth guard is “better than nothing.”

The proper care and cleaning of mouthguards

Like retainers and sports cups, mouthguards can become breeding grounds for bacteria if they aren’t cared for properly.

Gross, I know.

Karin advises cleaning a mouthguard with antibacterial soap and water, then letting it air-dry on a clean surface. They should also be replaced every season or six months, thanks to growing mouths and wear and tear.

Now, when my kids hop on their wheels, I don’t just think about helmets... I think about teeth.