When your child plays sports, you need the best kids dentist in town to protect his or her teeth. Sports injuries are common, no matter the age. Whether your child is eight-years-old and playing at his or her first basketball game or fifteen-years-old and on the soccer field, your child's teeth are at risk for cracking or chipping. Every time a ball flies your child's way or an elbow jab hits a nose, there is a clear chance that the child's teeth may fall victim to a sports injury. Cracks, chips, and knocked out teeth are all possible. As a dentist in Austin, our goal is to prevent these injuries. There are several clear ways that we can do this.
#1. Keep their teeth clean
Clean teeth are healthier teeth. At home, we encourage patients to brush and floss their teeth twice per day. As children get older, they can brush their teeth on their own. However, parents need to verify that the children are brushing their teeth on a regular basis. Support a child's brushing habits by purchasing a new toothbrush for them every three months and buying them a fluoride toothpaste that they enjoy.
#2. Take them to the dentist
You should bring your child to our dental office for teeth cleaning twice per year. Even if they are doing a good job, they will be leaving some plaque and tartar behind. We can remove it before they suffer health consequences as a result of that buildup. We are the best kids dentist for teeth cleanings because we also conduct careful examinations and make suggestions for how they can improve their health at home.
#3. Strengthen their teeth.
We can take steps to strengthen their teeth like applying a fluoride treatment. As a mineral, fluoride can be applied directly to their teeth and it will strengthen their enamel. Fluoride use will result in fewer cavities and overall stronger teeth.
#4. Treat any health problems.
Before they ever set foot on the baseball diamond, parents need to know that their child is cavity free. Infected and unhealthy teeth are susceptible to breakage and other damage. Parents do not want their children playing sports with a mouth full of cavities or they could end up with chipped teeth. Instead, bring them to our office at the first sign of tooth pain so that we can remove the decay, treat their infections and return their teeth to excellent health.
#5. Wear a mouth guard.
As the best kids dentist in the area, we recommend that any child playing sports wears a plastic mouth guard. Mouth guards are a simple tool that can greatly reduce the likelihood of children's teeth becoming damaged. You can buy an inexpensive mouth guard at the store for them to wear while playing. However, the best type of guard for children to wear is one that is professionally created using an impression of their mouth. The correct measurements will help the mouth guard fit and not fall out during a sport.
Our goal is for your children to stay healthy. Bring them to our Austin office frequently so that we can.
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