TL;DR: The “Sideline Parent” Summary
- The Risk: Soccer, baseball, and basketball are prime territory for elbows, balls, and pavement meeting teeth. A broken permanent tooth is a lifelong (and expensive) problem.
- Store-Bought (“Boil-and-Bite”): Better than nothing, but they are often bulky, uncomfortable, and can impede breathing and talking. Kids are more likely to chew on them than wear them properly.
- Parr Custom Guard: Made from an exact mold of your child’s teeth. They are thin, comfortable, stay in place, and offer superior impact protection.
- The Bottom Line: A custom guard is an investment in preventing an emergency root canal or implant later.
Gear Up for Spring Sports Safely
The snow is melting in Omaha, which means one thing: spring sports season is here. Soccer fields are filling up, baseball bats are swinging, and basketball courts are busy.
As parents, we buy the best cleats, the safest helmets, and the right shin guards. But too often, the most vulnerable part of a young athlete’s body is forgotten until it’s too late: their teeth.
We have seen it too many times in our office—a Saturday afternoon emergency call because a stray elbow in a soccer match knocked out a front tooth. It’s traumatic for the child and stressful for the parent.
When it comes to protecting those expensive permanent teeth, not all mouthguards are created equal. Here is the breakdown between what you buy at the sporting goods store and what we create at Parr Dental.
The Store-Bought (“Boil-and-Bite”) Guard
We’ve all done it. You run to the store an hour before the first practice, grab a plastic guard off the shelf, boil it at home, and hope for the best.
- The Pros: They are cheap (under $25) and available immediately.
- The Cons: Because they are made to fit “everyone,” they rarely fit anyone perfectly. They tend to be bulky, making it hard for kids to talk to teammates or breathe heavily during a sprint.
- The Reality: Because they are uncomfortable, kids take them out constantly. A mouthguard chewing on the sideline doesn’t protect teeth on the field.
The Parr Custom-Fit Sports Guard
This is professional-grade gear. We take a quick, painless impression of your child’s top teeth in our office. A few days later, you pick up a guard that was literally made for their mouth.
- The Fit: It snaps precisely into place. It won’t fall out, even during intense play.
- The Comfort: Because it’s thinner where it needs to be, your child can breathe, drink water, and communicate clearly without taking it out.
- The Protection: Custom guards are designed with the right thickness in critical areas to absorb shock and distribute impact forces, protecting not just the teeth, but the jaw and gums too.
The Investment Perspective
Think of it this way: A custom mouthguard is a small insurance policy against a very expensive accident. Fixing a broken or knocked-out permanent tooth often involves root canals, crowns, or eventually dental implants—costs that can run into the thousands of dollars over a lifetime.
Comparing the cost of a custom guard to the cost of an emergency ER visit and dental reconstruction makes the choice pretty clear.
Fun Fact for Kids!
Did you know that athletes are 60 times more likely to damage their teeth when not wearing a mouthguard? Even non-contact sports like gymnastics or skateboarding carry risks. It’s like wearing a seatbelt for your smile!
Get Them Fitted Before the First Game
Don’t wait until after a close call. If your child is playing sports this spring, let’s get them protected properly. It takes just minutes to get the impression.
Schedule a quick impression appointment today and ensure your MVP is safe on the field.
Check out our Full Parent’s Guide to Children’s Dentistry to learn more about protecting those smiles.