Proper Mouth Guards

If your child is just beginning a junior football league or playing on a school team, then it is important to help them establish good dental hygiene habits on and off the field now. Studies have shown that professional football players are prone to having bad teeth, and there are several play-related factors that can contribute to decay and cavities. Whether your child wants to make it to the pro football league some day or not, have him or her follow these tips for protecting their oral health, so they have nice teeth later in life no matter what the future holds for them.

Encourage Wear of the Proper Mouth Guards

Now is the time to help your child begin proper mouth-guard habits that will hopefully stick with them for as long as they

Custom-fitted mouth guards ordered by your dentist are best, but boil-and-bite guards that are placed in boiling water before your child's first wear and then molded to their mouth is the second-best choice. Do not buy guards that your child simply takes right out of the package and wears without molding to his or her teeth.

Encourage Good Cleaning of Mouth Guards

Your child's mouth guard must be cleaned properly after each and every time it is worn. Don't be tempted to just rinse it off with water, because that will not kill all of the cavity- and infection-causing bacteria, yeast, and even mold on it.

First, you or your child should brush the guard thoroughly with toothpaste and a spare toothbrush, then rinse it and soak it in a cleaning solution. There are tablets you can purchase at a local store made specifically for soaking mouth guards, but you can make your own by mixing half white vinegar and half cool water instead. Allow it to soak overnight and then have your child rinse it before putting it in their mouth