Alot has been happening around the office and we are very excited about it. First our Financial Coordinator Courtney had a beautiful baby boy Timothy Jr. in February and she couldn't be happier. She is currently on maternity leave and she is very missed around here by everyone. Our Treatment Coordinator Kathy and assistant Erica both guessed the exact day when the baby was born winning our office pool, Congratulations guys! Courtney will be back in a few months and we are all very excited to meet the newest addition to our work family.
I am sure you have all noticed two new faces working at the front desk Ginny and Jenn whom we are very happy to have on board. They are very excited to get to know all of our patients, their families and friends. For all of the kids that participate in our monthly contests, if you get stumped on a question, Jenn is full of Jeopardy trivia and will be more than happy to give you a hint, some of those questions can be tricky! We also have a wonderful new assistant to our Smile Team Heather. She is very talented and is a great addition to our team.
This Spring, so many of our patients are participating in many different sporting events around town. We have patients playing baseball, lacrosse, soccer, karate, figure skating, frisbee, and basketball, and we love to hear all about your games, matches and the trophies and championships you win! But what about protecting those beautiful teeth you all have? A mouthguard is a simple way to protect your teeth from things that might break your brackets, teeth or cause harm to your lips and gums. We get a lot of questions about which mouthguards are best for kids with braces and are always happy to answer any and all of them. There are 3 types of mouthguards on the market, ones that are ready made, ones that can boil to mold to you teeth, and custom Dr. made mouthguards. We usually recomend Shock Doctor brand for patients with braces and expanders. If you need help getting your mouthguard to fit around your braces or appliance, or just have any questions, always feel free to give us a call and come in to have Dr. B. fit it for you.
In this newsletter is a great article from the Journal of the American Dental Association about how to choose and care for your mouthguards while under the treatment of an Orthodontist. We want all of our patients to have a beautiful smile and a mouthguard is a great investment while playing sports this spring. Enjoy the beautiful upcoming weather and Play Ball!
The Journal of the American Dental Associationjada.ada.org
- The Journal of the American Dental Association March 1, 2012 vol. 143 no. 3 312
Keep sports safe—wear a mouthguard
When pulling together your sports equipment, don’t forget about getting a mouthguard. Whether you’re participating in organized sports or are a weekend warrior, you should think about the importance of protecting your mouth.
A properly fitted mouthguard, or mouth protector, is a key piece of athletic gear that can help protect your smile. People typically think about wearing mouthguards in contact sports, such as football, basketball, boxing, lacrosse or hockey, but the risk of experiencing an oral injury also exists in noncontact sports, such as gymnastics, baseball or skateboarding. Mouth-guards cushion blows that might otherwise cause broken teeth and injuries to the lips, tongue, face or jaw.
TYPES OF MOUTHGUARDS
Three types of mouthguards are available:
- –ready-made stock mouthguards;
- –mouth-formed boil-and-bite mouthguards;
- –custom-made mouthguards.
All three mouthguards provide some protection, but they vary in cost, comfort and durability. Stock mouthguards can be bought in most sporting goods stores but come in limited sizes (usually small, medium and large). Like stock mouthguards, mouth-formed—or boil-and-bite—mouthguards are available at sporting goods stores and come in limited sizes. A boil-and-bite mouthguard offers a more personalized fit in that you soften it in boiling water and then bite into it to shape it to your teeth. Your dentist can make a custom mouthguard that conforms to your mouth, offering a better fit than that of the others.
Store-bought mouthguards are inexpensive, but because they are intended to fit a variety of mouths, they tend to be less comfortable than are custom-made mouthguards. In addition, the materials used to make store-bought mouth-guards are not as durable as those used in the dental office for the custom-made versions.
The most effective mouthguard is tear resistant and comfortable. It should fit properly in your mouth without restricting your speech or breathing. A good mouthguard should be durable and easy to clean.
Typically, a mouthguard covers only the upper teeth, but some activities may call for protection of the lower teeth as well. Talk with your dentist about your personal needs.
CHOOSING A MOUTHGUARD
When looking for a mouthguard, you might consider several factors:
- –Is your dentition changing? Do you still have primary teeth? Are you waiting for permanent teeth to erupt to fill in your smile?
- –What sport are you playing? At what level? Are you tossing the ball around with friends or will you be playing in a competitive league?
- –Have you had any special dental treatment,
