Children have the right to think that they are indestructible. After all, they haven't encountered many of the worries of life and haven't yet absorbed the overwhelming negativity that can sometimes hold them back from taking bold action. This time of life is supposed to be exciting and full of promise, and parents should, to an extent, give their kids some headway as they explore their limitations. Having said that, a certain amount of prudence is also called for, especially when it comes to their health. Some care taken here could alleviate problems in later life, and this is especially true about their dentition. As a parent, how should you approach this issue with your children, especially when it comes to some of their more challenging exploits?

Contact Injury

From an early age, children like to take part in team sports, and these can, by their very nature, be quite rough and tumble. Some of these activities are more 'contact' than others, and if your children participate proactively, they can be at risk of picking up an injury.

If they happen to get hit by a ball travelling at speed or an errant elbow thrown by an opponent, a significant amount of damage can be caused to their teeth. If they happen to be wearing braces, as many children of their age will do, then this could cause additional injury as well.

Follow Their Heroes

It's a good idea to encourage them to wear mouth guards as soon as they start to play in this type of sport. If you think this is going to be a hard sell, just point them to professional players, who will undoubtedly be their heroes at this stage. These individuals don't think twice about adding a mouth guard when they take to the pitch, and this should be a good incentive for your youngsters to do the same.

Extra Protection

When you get a custom mouth guard created, this will protect their teeth from damage, and if an incident does occur, they will be less likely to lose one or more of them. The mouth guard can also protect some of the more sensitive areas like gums and cheeks from impact injury and, as previously mentioned, can fit well over braces to protect them.

Setting the Rules

Some schools insist that mouth guards be used in certain sporting activities, but many do not. You should ensure that your children are as protected as possible by making up some of your own rules here. Get your children's dentist to make a customised mouthguard for your children, and this will help preserve their teeth for the long run.