Mouthguard advice - for a mouth full of gaps

[SlighlyStressedMum]

Late to this, but I am having the same dilemma. Ds can have one fitted at school in the first week, but it costs more than £40. I was going to buy a DIY one instead. Is this a bad idea then?
My main concern was spending this much and I can't see Ds being anywhere near the action. I certainly wouldn't influence him either way but he does not like any sports, he is into performing arts. He hates football, in fact all sports involving balls, all contact sports, and like both his parents is not very good, destined to always be picked last for teams I think as we were, and I imagine do all he can to avoid the ball! Should I still go for the professionally fitted guard though?

[kenyancowgirl]

Is he going to have the opportunity to try sports at school he has not played before? He may discover a love for one of them - he may find he is better than you and he think at a sport he has already played and get selected for competitive teams.

How would he feel doing his acting/drama stuff if his teeth were knocked out due to an ill fitting mouthguard? Would his confidence be knocked? Personally, I wouldn't use any other type than the dentist fitted one. Even as a spare....

[doodles]

Even as a spare....

In an ideal world the spare would be dentist made too. However, if you are have two or three children it amounts to a fairly hefty outlay that not everybody can afford.

[kenyancowgirl]

I do have two kids and we certainly aren't flush - we haven't had a family summer holiday for 2 years, for example. I guess we just prioritise differently. We also do have a responsible dentist who offers a discounted second mouth guard from the same mould. (I'm pretty sure even Opro do this), so it is not double the cost, thankfully.

[doodles]

Nothing more from me on this one as every comment I make is obviously showing me to be a completely irresponsible mother.

[Rob Clark]

Just on the headguards issue, I should clarify that they do undoubtedly offer some protection against facial lacerations, grazes and such like. But they are unlikely to offer protection against concussion and blows to the head if that is what people are asking about.

I'm sure those of you whose DCs already play rugby to a high level are well aware of this, but I think it's important for parents such as Chimera-ma whose DCs are possibly about to start playing full-contact rugby for the first time to know that rugby governing bodies such as the WRU and World Rugby don't, generally, favour the wearing of headguards, and that much of the current research is pointing towards them doing more harm than good where concussive injuries are concerned.

[mad?]

There seem to be fads in sport, and watching the Olympics this year I have been interested to see gymnasts covered in what look like large elastoplasts (instead of the screamingly bright coloured tapes stuck all over tennis players the last time I saw any tennis, which was admittedly about four years ago) and American swimmers looking like they have been bitten by swarms of horseflies, apparently because they have been 'cupping', which does sound vaguely kinky but is apparently meant to draw impurities out of your body (resists urge to say 'quack quack').

Ah there is a reason Amber (a poor one though IMO). In competition gymnasts must have skin colour strapping (if any) allegedly so as not to detracts from their form (shape of moves etc on floor). DD trained with all manner of colourful strapping on when injured and then we had to use flesh coloured tape when competing. Quite hard to get off and a bit ridiculous IMO. You may notice the same in diving (particularly on their backs which appear to be strapped with elastoplast from top to bottom in some cases). I once incurred the wrath of the coach by bringing white tape instead and had to spend half an hour smearing make up over then 7 year old DD's legs to camouflage it. Ridiculous. There is some similar rule about stray hair and potentially losing execution marks if your scrunchie falls off etc. Hence the plastered in hairspray look.

[Amber]

Ah, thank you mad?
I was speaking to someone who was once on the England gymnastics team a while ago and he said he had had to cover his (very extensive) tattoos in make up, but I note now that some gymnasts of both genders are heavily embellished with blue graphics. And as an aside I did feel last night that the make up worn by some of the girls looked a bit ridiculous. I see they are complaining about not being taken seriously as athletes but if you are made up like a model then you surely are seeking some kind of approval for your looks? Just a thought.

Very glad none of mine does gym. I still remember the poor Elena Mukhina and what happened to her - it all looks so scarily dangerous and there are no helmets or mouthguards there. How their poor mothers cope I do not know. Respect to you for living through it mad?

[mad?]

And as an aside I did feel last night that the make up worn by some of the girls looked a bit ridiculous.

Couldn't agree more Amber. Loathe it.

I still remember the poor Elena Mukhina and what happened to her - it all looks so scarily dangerous and there are no helmets or mouthguards there. How their poor mothers cope I do not know. Respect to you for living through it mad?

Gladly it's long been over for me now, I never actually managed to watch the whole of one of DD's beam routines (and trust me I spent far too much of my life in some smelly sweaty gym watching competitions ). But yes, the injuries are horrendous at times, it is a dangerous sport, as experienced by that poor Frenchman the other night, Ouch!

[kenyancowgirl]

Having seen the injury, I was amazed (and pleased) to see pictures of him up and walking the other day.