A mouth guard may not seem like much, but they should hold top priority as far as sports equipment goes. With studies showing that athletes are 60 times more likely to suffer harm to the teeth when not wearing a mouth guard, it’s a small price to pay to avoid a potentially catastrophic dental emergency.  The options for mouth guards are numerous and range in price. For as little as a few dollars try a boil-and-bite mouth guard. These allow for a comfortable and custom fit, but tend to be a bit bulkier.  The best approach is a visit to your dentist to have a custom mouth guard formed. Though a bit more costly, these guards will be lower in profile, more comfortable, more consistently worn and more effective at preventing injuries. While it’s generally a no brainer to outfit your child with a mouth guard for contact sports like lacrosse, sports like baseball and softball, where a mouth guard isn’t a traditional piece of equipment, can pose an even higher threat to the teeth of an athlete. At the high school level baseballs can move well above 80 mph.  

Play it safe: Make sure your young athletes have a mouth guard for all their athletic endeavors this spring.