Giving back to Kent and surrounding communities who have contributed to our success is a vital piece of who we stand for at Belli & Streit Orthodontics. This summer we hosted our second mouth guard clinic for all male and female student-athletes. Patients and non-patients received a complimentary, customized, professional quality athletic mouth guard.
Helping to keep your child safe is of primary importance to us. There are many important reasons why athletes should wear mouth guards. They help to protect their teeth, jaws, and necks. Equally important may be a discussion about the reasons our children do not wear them. Research gathered from middle and high school athletes suggested there are several factors that inhibit consistent and successful use of this important protection. They stated an ill-fitting mouth guard makes it more difficult to breathe and often is too thick or too loose in places. Athletes also reported that verbal communication becomes more challenging and they have less efficiency in staying hydrated because of the time it takes for the removal and placement of a non-customized mouth guard. Finally, athletes stated that a removable mouth guard with no name attached to it often becomes confused with that of another teammate.
Each of these common complaints may be addressed by having a custom fit mouth guard for your student-athlete. Look for our announcement in the spring of 2019 for the next impression night at Belli & Streit Orthodontics. We hope to see you here!