Kirkland custom mouth guards – not just for impact sports

When you think of an athlete wearing a mouth guard during play, you probably have the image of a football, basketball or hockey player in your mind. Dr. Ann Kelley and her team at Kingsgate Dental are here to let you know that even those that don’t participate in high-impact sports can (and probably should) be using custom fit mouth guards.

It’s important for kids who play sports to begin wearing mouthguards at an early age so that a habit-forming routine can be established. This goes for children who aren’t playing high impact sports also, such as gymnasts, skateboarders and bicyclists. A custom fit mouth guard should not be viewed as optional but as an essential piece of their equipment/uniform. There are several reasons for this including:

• A mouth guard limits the risk of a mouth related injury to the teeth, lips, tongue or soft tissue in the mouth
• A mouth guard can help you avoid chipping or breaking a tooth
• A mouth guard helps provide protection against nerve damage to a tooth and even tooth loss
• A mouth guard may provide protection from concussions by assisting in force distribution when there is a blow to the head
• For non-athletes, mouth guards can still provide benefits. An example is for patients who grind their teeth in their sleep. A custom fit mouth guard will help prevent this.

Why custom fit?

A custom-fit mouth guard is individually designed and crafted for the patient. The impressions are normally taken at your dental office and then that impression is sent to a professional lab where the mouth guard is crafted. Due to the materials used and the work involved, you may have to wait around a week for the mouth guard to come in. It’s slightly more costly than other options but, due to the personalized protection offered, is worth that increased cost. A custom fit mouth guard provides top quality comfort with the best fit and protection of any other option you will find.

To schedule an appointment, please give Dr. Ann Kelley a call today at (425) 385-0080 and she will be happy to sit down with you and explore available options.

Ann Kelley, DDS

Dr. Ann Kelley is a graduate of the Creighton University School of Dentistry in Omaha, Nebraska. She highly values the comfort of her patients, and places the needs of the patient above her convenience. Her dental clinic is built to bring the best and most comfortable dental experience to all her patients. She builds relationships with her patients based on trust and always acts to safeguard this trust.