WASHINGTON, D.C. (WUSA) - As our children head out to the field this fall for team sports, the risk of injury to their children's teeth and jaws is real. Mouthguards are a necessity for any contact sport. But the kind you buy in the store may not be good enough.
According to Montgomery County dentist, Dr. Jay Samuels, a properly fitted, custom mouth- or sportsguard works the best. Dr Samuels is so passionate about protecting our children from a preventable injury, that he is asking all dentists in the United States to make custom mouthguards for children at or below cost.
Here's what Dr. Samuels says:
• There's nothing more important than the health and well-being of our children.
• It's our mission to "ask" all dental professionals to make children properly-fitted custom mouthguards at or near cost so they can get the best sports-injury protection possible
• Custom mouthguards are recommended by ADA and The Academy for Sports Dentistry.
• Custom fitted protect better because they have a precise fit which makes them more comfortable, disperses the force of impact and allows for better breathing.
•An athlete not wearing a properly-fitted custom mouthguard is twice as likely to suffer a dental injury
• It costs thousands of dollars to fix or replace a tooth.
• A child sidelined athletically runs a greater risk of being sidelined academically too.
• The impact is far-reaching
Dr. Samuels is also working to help provide mouthguards for free to kids whose families can't afford them in D.C.'s Ward 7. The grant is through Friends of Fort DuPont Ice Arena. It provides dental education, screening and properly-fitted custom mouthguards to children who would not have access to this type of protection or possibly even dental care.
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