I am a mom of three boys and at some point, all three have played football. For a couple of years, all three played football, and that was crazy. This year only two are playing. But one major important aspect of being a football mom is to choose the right mouthguard for football for your kids. Each child is different, and it can be a challenge to find the right mouthguard that works for your individual child.
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This post is a collaboration. I received free products for my honest review. All opinions are 100% my own. In collaborating with Oral Mart® for this post, I was given two different types of mouthguards to try out. Read on to find out more about how they worked out for my son.
My kids are all individuals, of course, and their needs are all different. Whereas two of my boys can tolerate any type of mouthguard, one, my youngest has issues with gagging when a mouthguard is too large. Kids need to be comfortable both to enjoy playing the sport and for optimal performance.
I am pleased to share this review with you to help you find the right mouthguard for your own child.
Finding the Right Mouthguard for Football
The kids’ teeth need to be protected, at all costs because we only get one set of permanent teeth. Football can be rough and hard hits and falls happen, so teeth need to be protected. All coaches I know say “no mouthguard, no playtime”. They are serious about protection, just as parents are too. This is good and necessary.
The challenge as a parent becomes figuring out which mouthguard works for your son. Some kids are easy, and every style of mouthguard works. Others are more particular and need specific aspects addressed for comfort in mouthguard usage.
My youngest son has a very strong gag reflex, so he doesn’t tolerate big chunky mouthguards. He was excited to try out the mouthguards to find out how they would work out for him.
We followed the directions on the package (see below for instructions and a graphic for how to prepare the mouthguard for football), and boiled and fitted the mouthguards from Oral Mart® to my son’s teeth. One of the mouthguards worked great for my son, the other one was more gag-inducing for him, but both were less gag-inducing then other larger mouthguards he has used in the past.
My son tolerated the colored mouthguard just fine, and even though he loved the flag mouthguard, for some reason that was a bit more uncomfortable for him. So, I’d suggest going with the plain colored mouthguard from Oral Mart® if your son has a strong gag reflex. I’m not sure if the flag mouthguard was slightly larger or just more stiff, but he preferred the colored mouthguard.
Another aspect of this mouthguard that I love is that it comes with a nice mouthguard case.
The Mouthguards:
Your child can choose their favorite color for his/her mouthguard.
Mouthguard Comfort tips:
Read this review of another type of mouthguard to try if your son has gagging issues.
How to Prepare your Mouthguard for Football
Mouthguards need to be boiled and fitted precisely to teeth for better shock absorption. The nice thing is, if you don’t get a good fit, you can re-boil it and fit it to your son’s teeth again. I like the forgiveness of that aspect so I know we have another chance at achieving a good fit if at first we don’t succeed.
(Please note: this type of mouthguard is not for kids with braces, they must use a non-boil mouthguard that they simply bite.)
What is needed for fitting a mouthguard:
- a boiling pot of water
- a cup with cold water to cool it down
- a slotted spoon to scoop the mouthguard out of the boiling water
- your child:)
My son was easily able to follow these steps and we got the mouthguard quickly and effortlessly fitted to his teeth. I found it very easy to guide my son through this process to reach a successful fitting using the above guide.
I feel very comfortable as a parent knowing my child’s teeth are protected in the case of high impact hits or falls in football.
This mouthguard could also be used for other sports of course, not just football.
Ready for the Game
I know how hectic pre-game time can get when we are getting ready for a game. When we are getting ready to head out for practice or a game, I’m so happy knowing that not only will my child’s teeth be protected, but his mouthguard is also protected by the case. I’ve seen kids just throw their mouthguards on the grass when they take them out, so I’m happy to have the case so my son can keep his cleaner and germ-free.
My Recommendation
I do recommend this type of mouthguard. We are having good success with it in tolerance and protection. I also love that the mouthguard is both latex and BPA free, which as a parent, are important aspects to me. My son gives the thumbs up of approval for this mouthguard as well. That is important to me. I want him to be both protected and comfortable in his protective gear.
More Football Tips:
Looking for other football tips? I’m been a football mom for nine years now, so I have a lot of experience to share.
Football Mom Ideas: Healthy Snacks for Football players
Tips for Youth Football Players from a Seasoned Football Mom
Team building activity for youth football players
I hope you have found this review helpful in your search for the right mouthguard for your child.
Copyright©2019 Julie Hoag writer. All Rights Reserved.
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