Custom mouth guards could help prevent concussions, improve performance
Every parent who has a child who plays football wants to keep their child safe while they’re on the gridiron. That means having a good helmet to protect from concussions.
Now some parents are taking a page out of the playbook from the pros and getting custom mouth guards for their kids too.
Dr. Leonard Feld makes custom mouth guards for football players and other athletes at the Indian Wells Smile Center. It’s a procedure Feld has done for hundreds of players including one’s playing in the NFL.
“What happens is the lights go out with the nerves in the back of the jaw that go directly to the brain. And with concussions it’s the same thing. We see them wobbly and all that stuff. They get hit [on the jaw] it’s a different thing than being hit in the head,” said Feld.
“A mouth guard is sometimes something that we can take for granted. I think taking the step back and looking for the more advanced types of mouth guards to protect our kids can make a big difference,” said Matthew Martello, president of the PDLQ Roadrunners, a Junior All American Football team.
The mouth guards not only protect from concussions and injuries but can improve athletic ability by helping players breathe and improve balance.
Custom mouth guards can cost around $70 which is basically twice the price of a regular mouth guard you can buy at a sporting goods store.
