Mouth Guards in Anderson
A single elbow to the mouth during a rec league basketball game can chip a front tooth, loosen a permanent molar, or split a lip in a way that takes months and multiple appointments to repair. A custom sports mouth guard is the small, inexpensive piece of equipment that stands between your child's smile and that kind of afternoon. For families in Anderson, SC, whose kids play football, soccer, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, wrestling, or skate and ride bikes on the weekend, a properly fitted guard is one of the most practical protections we can offer.
A mouth guard is a flexible appliance worn over the upper teeth that absorbs and spreads out the force of an impact. Instead of that force landing on one tooth or driving the lower jaw into the upper, it's cushioned and distributed. We offer sports mouth guards made from an impression or scan of your child's own teeth, which is what separates a custom guard from the boil-and-bite versions sold at sporting goods stores. A stock guard that shifts, gags, or makes it hard to talk usually ends up in a gym bag instead of in a mouth.
Custom fit matters especially for growing children. Kids move through a mixed dentition stage where baby teeth are shedding and permanent teeth are erupting, and the shape of the arch changes quickly. A guard built to your child's current bite sits securely without constant adjusting, and because it stays put, it actually gets worn. We fit guards for children, adolescents, and teens, and our practice is exclusively pediatric, so everything about the appointment is designed around how kids think and feel in the dental chair.
Almost any child in an organized sport or an active hobby is a candidate. That includes contact sports like football and wrestling, but also basketball, soccer, and baseball, where collisions and stray equipment cause a surprising share of dental injuries. Kids who skateboard, ride scooters, or play hard on playgrounds benefit too. Children with protrusive front teeth, and teens in orthodontic treatment, are often at higher risk of a lip or tooth injury during impact.
Here is what a custom sports guard does for an Anderson family:
- Cushions the teeth, lips, and gums against a direct blow
- Helps protect against chipped, cracked, or knocked-out teeth
- Reduces the chance of soft-tissue cuts from teeth or braces
- Fits comfortably enough that kids can breathe, talk, and drink without pulling it out
- Costs far less time and money than repairing a dental injury after the fact
We also treat children with special healthcare needs, and we welcome conversations about whether a guard is appropriate for a child who grinds, has sensory sensitivities, or needs extra time to adjust to something new in the mouth.
What to Expect, From First Visit Through Fitting
We start with a dental exam to check the health of the teeth and gums, look at how the bite comes together, and note which permanent teeth have erupted. That exam matters because a guard should be made over a healthy mouth. If we find a cavity or a tooth that needs attention, we talk that through with you first. Parents are welcome in the treatment room the whole time, which we find helps nervous kids settle in.
Next we capture the shape of your child's upper teeth and the guard is fabricated to that shape. At the delivery appointment, we seat it, check that it stays in place when your child bites and speaks, and trim or adjust any edge that rubs. We ask your child to practice talking and breathing with it in so the first time isn't during a game. For anxious patients, we offer nitrous oxide, oral sedation, and local and topical anesthesia, though a mouth guard fitting itself is quick and comfortable for most kids.
Caring for the Guard and Keeping It Working
Rinse the guard in cool water before and after every use, brush it gently with a toothbrush, and let it air dry in a vented case rather than sealed in a bag. Keep it out of hot cars and away from dishwashers and boiling water, which distort the material. Bring it to checkups so we can inspect it for tears and thinning spots.
Because children grow and teeth keep erupting, guards need to be replaced periodically. A guard that no longer snaps into place or has been chewed through isn't protecting anything.
Insurance, Payment, and Getting Started
We accept all major PPO insurance plans, Medicaid, and self-pay patients, and we file as a specialist for pediatric care. Flexible financing plans are available, HSA and FSA funds are accepted, and new patients can take advantage of our $99 New Patient Special.
Anderson families see us at our Easley and Greenville offices, and we're glad to coordinate the exam, cleaning, and guard fitting in one trip when scheduling allows. We also keep room for emergency appointments, so if a dental injury does happen on the field, call us.