At Affiliated Orthodontics, our number one concern is our patients. This is why we are joining football great Emmitt Smith, his family, and the American Association of Orthodontics during the month of April to help raise awareness and increase the use of facial protection in youth sports in Peoria, Glendale, Scottsdale, Surprise and the surrounding areas.
Watch this video on YouTube about the importance of wearing mouth guards and protective gear when playing contact sports. You can also download a free Emmitt Smith Family Poster at http://www.braces.org/sportsafety/sports_safety_tips.html
Dr Randy Womack and Dr Larry Davis asks all our patients to be proactive and protect yourselves when playing any contact sport, organized or just with friends, by wearing a mouth guard.
It only takes a split second to damage your beautiful smile! Too often, a patient comes into our office with a preventable sports injury. Extensive dental care is often required to repair a sports injury and many patients will experience needless discomfort, aggravation, loss of time, and incur an unnecessary financial investment throughout their lives to maintain dental work after the injury. So please “Play It Safe” and wear a mouth guard.
During orthodontic treatment, it is especially important for patients to wear a mouth guard to prevent injury from braces that can easily cut lips cheeks when hit. Free orthodontic mouth guards are provided for all our patients. If you don’t have one or lost it, call our office or stop in to pick one up during office hours.
If you have any questions about what type of mouth guard will work best for you or your child… we will be happy to discuss this with you.
How do you feel about the importance of wearing mouth guards? Do you make it mandatory for your children? Please comment below. We would love to hear from you.
You may be gagging because the mouth guard is too big for your mouth. I suggest you cut off half an inch or so off the back end with a razor or scissors and smooth off with sand paper so it doesn’t irritate your tongue. A custom mouth guard will solve the problem but you don’t want to have one made until all your teeth are fully erupted. if it still makes you gag, cut off a little more till it stops.
If you are wearing braces, the type you boil and bite into will stop your teeth from moving and slow down treatment. Make sure you ask your orthodontist for the proper type of mouth guard if you are wearing braces.
If you want to whiten your teeth there are many options out there. Like anything else, some work and some don’t. We suggest you speak with your dentist or orthodontist about whitening before you do anything. Not all products are the same and some patients experience discomfort when whitening their teeth. We suggest any dental procedure such as this be overseen by a professional to monitor problems if they should arise.