Custom Sports Mouthguards in Lethbridge
Fall sports in Lethbridge are already underway. Hockey ice is booked, football has started, and somewhere in your house there is probably a mouthguard from two seasons ago that no longer fits.
Here's what's worth knowing before your athlete takes the first real hit.
Why mouthguards matter more than most parents assume
The Canadian Dental Association recommends protective equipment for anyone playing contact sports, and is specific about the type: "Use of a properly fitted mouth guard, preferably custom fitted by a dentist, decreases the risk of orofacial injuries because they are more comfortable and therefore more likely to be properly positioned at the time of impact."
Read that last clause again, because it's the whole argument. A mouthguard only protects a tooth if it's actually in the mouth, seated properly, at the moment of contact. Uncomfortable guards get chewed loose, pushed to one side, or left in the bag.
A knocked-out permanent tooth is not a one-time expense. It's a lifetime of restorations, replacements, and follow-up, starting at fourteen.
The three types, honestly compared
Stock guards. Preformed, one-size, cheapest. They're bulky, they interfere with breathing and speech, and they stay in place mostly by being clenched. Better than nothing, and that's about the strongest thing we'll say for them.
Boil-and-bite. You soften it in hot water and bite down. Fit is genuinely better than stock, and for a young athlete in a low-contact recreational league, a well-fitted boil-and-bite is a reasonable option. The catch is that the fit is only as good as the kitchen-counter process that made it, and the material thins out over the areas taking the most force.
Custom-fitted. We take an impression of your athlete's teeth and the guard is fabricated to that model. It's thinner where thinness is fine and thicker where protection matters, it stays put without being clenched, and kids can talk and breathe in it — which is the real reason they keep it in.
It costs more. For a child playing a contact sport several times a week, most families find it's worth it.
If your child has braces, this isn't optional
Orthodontic hardware turns a routine impact into a soft-tissue injury — brackets and wires against the inside of the lip. The CDA specifically recommends that patients undergoing orthodontic treatment get a custom-fitted guard designed around the appliances. A standard boil-and-bite moulded over braces can also interfere with tooth movement, which is not a conversation you want to have with your orthodontist mid-treatment.
Tell us your child is in braces when you book, and we'll make the right kind.
One important limitation
Mouthguards protect teeth, lips, and jaws. They are not concussion protection. The CDA is blunt about this: "Other face and head protection is essential because mouth guards have a very limited role in preventing brain concussion."
Helmet, face cage, mouthguard — they do different jobs. Your athlete needs all of them.
Fit changes fast in kids
A twelve-year-old's mouth in September is not the same mouth it was in March. Adult teeth erupt, jaws grow, baby teeth come out. A guard that fit last season may sit loose this one, and a loose guard is close to no guard at all.
Check the fit at the start of every season. If it rocks, slides, or your child says it feels "weird now," it needs replacing.
Making it last
Rinse in cool water after every use — never hot, which warps the material
Brush it occasionally with a soft toothbrush and mild soap
Store it in a ventilated case, not sealed in a wet bag
Keep it out of direct sun and out of the car in summer
Bring it to dental appointments so we can check the fit
When to book
Impressions take one short appointment, and the guard needs fabrication time after that. To have it in hand for the first weeks of the season, book now rather than in mid-September.
Call (403) 327-3410 or come see us at 718 3 Ave S in downtown Lethbridge. If you're already booked for a back-to-school checkup, mention the mouthguard and we'll handle both in the same visit.