Mouthguard advice - for a mouth full of gaps

[chimera-ma]

When DS starts at his new school in September, there is the option of being fitted in the first week for a customised mouthguard. As he has lost 6 baby teeth in the past 6 weeks (with no new teeth yet in 4 spaces), and has another wobbly one, is it worth the expense?

Even with the self-fit option, I'm worried that DS will need two or three mouthguards before he has fully grown teeth in all the gaps.

Does anyone know if allowance is made in the customised fitting process for part-grown and yet-to-grow teeth? DS hasn't had a mouthguard before and will do only compulsory contact sport at grammar school as it's definitely not his thing...

Any advice much appreciated!

[Kingfisher]

Don't get professionally fitted; go to a sports shop and buy one which you can mound yourself. You heat it in hot water and you can remould them as his teeth change. They cost a few pounds.

[Amber]

Don't get professionally fitted; go to a sports shop and buy one which you can mound yourself. You heat it in hot water and you can remould them as his teeth change. They cost a few pounds.

Absolutely the reverse advice here (DH is a dentist). A dentist will put a spacer in where the teeth are missing (they won't be the central incisors at his age) and teeth are not replaceable. Decent mouthguards are, in his words, 'not that expensive compared with smashed front teeth'.

He also says that spending a bit of money outlines to a child the imperative of looking after the teeth and being a bit careful when playing sport.

[chimera-ma]

Thank you. Marvellous to have input from a dentist too. Amber, does DH think that with spacers used in the fitting process, the mouthguard will be usable for as long as it takes the new teeth to grow to size? Will DS know if it is time for a new mouthguard, eg, by the initial one becoming uncomfortable?

[KB]

If you go to your own dentist ( pronto as they take a while) they can advise you in your son's particular case.
We had a similar situation and poped in to have the dentist have a quick check every so often ( assuming you have had them do it in the first place)
On one occasion at least ( many years back now) he was able to use a scalpel to adjust the guard.

There's nothing wrong with the diy versions if you fit them properly - but it's not always that easy to get it right.

I do find it quite sad when DCs are starting secondary school and have already ' decided' what's not for them. It's a great opportunity to develop new skills and find new sides of themselves. Hopefully he will have good games staff and find he enjoys himself. Btw mouth guards are also required for hockey & that's very different to rugby so might yet be more up his street.

[Amber]

Sorry to look as if I am trying to contradict everyone else who has posted on here but...
From DH:

Wait until as late as possible to get this done - a decent dentist will get a mouthguard done within a week, so take impressions just before term starts and you are likely to be fine. Schools tend not to start contact sport until all the kids have their guards. As children grow most over the summer you will max out the usefulness of the guard by waiting.

DH says it is very rare for a child to need more than one mouthguard for an academic year, so yes your son ought to know when it is getting uncomfortable and that probably won't be until at least Easter (when there won't be any rugby anyway). Your dentist, if they have fitted it, will advise you if, as KB says, you pop in. Buy one through school and you don't have that option (and they aren't any cheaper either).

It won't surprise you to know that he wouldn't allow any of ours to wear a boil in the bag one. 'You get what you pay for' is his only comment on that.

[chimera-ma]

Thanks to you all for your responses and for referring to DH for a dentist's response again, Amber. I will check with DS's dentist to see if we can get a fitting at the beginning of September.

I think that's the best approach while DS's dental landscape is in such transition, and we'll look at self-fit when he has all his adult teeth, although we may be in braces territory by then, which would mean customisation again, I think.

[Tinkers]

We had something similar, and the dentist left spaces in the mouth guard for the couple of teeth left to grow into.

[KB]

It did take longer for us to get the last one through - maybe it was just a blip. Sure the dentist was doing their best.
But I also meant that it can take a while to get an appointment at this time of year with dentists on holiday and school age children getting holiday time check ups.


Ah, braces...... Definitely part of teenage years I don't miss!

[doodles]

Dental appointment made and spare gumguard purchased from well known discount sports store.

Now the thorny issue of scrum helmets to address...they both wear them but the protestations are getting louder. Ds1 is a forward so my argument is strong but for ds2 in the backs I'm on shakier ground. Perhaps they could both take up tapestry instead......