Do your children use a gum shield?

[Lottie4]

If your children use a gum shield, which sports do they use them for?

My daughter's new school don't ask for them but the orthodonist has asked me to consider seriously whether I allow her to do sports in comprehensive school, and I'm wondering if a gum shield would get around some of the more risky sports rather than have her excluded. She's already lost the bottom four in an accident and the top four stick out and are separated but she can't have a brace yet.

Hockey and rugby.

Schools both have a 'no mouthguard, no play' policy.

DCs have boil and bite mouth guards. I'll upgrade to fully fitted when their dentition is no longer mobile.

Thank you, there's nothing mentioned on the school's website. She's not very sporty, but I don't want her to be excluded from sports - on the other hand I don't want her to feel silly being the only one with a gumsheild.

My DS's have used one for rugby since he was 8. We used to buy it through Opro who came to the school and took an impression and charged us upwards of £30+ for the guard which by the time it had arrived and the rugby season started no longer fitted properly. A few years ago DS 2 knocked out his front adulr tooth in a freak unsports related accident and now has a tempory tooth which can easily get knocked off. A dentist we saw last year couldn't believe I was "wasting my money on an Opro specially fitted gum shield" he apparently wouldn't get them for his children and advised me to buy one in a local sports shop and fit it my self for at least half the price. Since then we buy a fit it yourself Opro aimed at boxers so completely over the top for rugby to protect said tooth and it has never fallen off again!!
Theyre easy to fit and if just for rugby and you have no teeth problems I believe cost less than £10.

Ds is about to go into Yr8 and has never needed a gum shield.

As said before - rugby and hockey, although they played competitively as well as at school. The boil and bite ones are fine until they're older.

Thanks for making me think about this - have just asked DS's grammar school whether he will need one although they are more of a footballing than rugby school.

DS plays hockey at school. They are expected to have both a mouth guard and shin guards and if either are missing they don't play that day.

I am not entirely sure what has changed since I (reluctantly) played hockey at school in the 1970's, when we were expected to survive with no greater protection than a thick pair of knitted socks. I certainly don't ever remember anyone getting injured, other than the excema from the wool socks...And having an incredibly strong gag reflex to anything in my mouth, I certainly wouldn't have coped with a mouth guard.

To DS great regret (he is about as keen on hockey as I was) if he forgets his kit more than twice there is an automatic detention. So far he is of the opinion that PE is (just) preferable to detention, but this may change.

My DS starts rugby with his school when he starts year 7 in September. I went to Sports Direct and got him one for £2.00. I had no idea they were dearer than that.

Do you think I should invest in something more expensive?????

DS has had to have one from year 3 at primary for rugby and hockey - they're not allowed to play without them. So I think its a good idea.

They get measured at school and think its about £25-30 from memory.

I remember back in the olden days, one of the girls getting 3 of her front teeth smashed out in a game of hockey. It didn't help that the one wielding the hockey stick had forgotten you're not supposed to have the stick above your shoulder
Anyway if gum shields protect your teeth they sound like a fab idea.

Compulsory at dc's schools (Rugby, Hockey, Lacrosse, our dentist would even like them used for Cricket and Rounders). I'm having a Boil'n'Bite vs. Opro dilemma atm

Hockey & Rugby, and we get the boil and bite £10 ones too.

Wearing one is compulsory for both sports both in and out of school.

Hockey. My dd's out-of-school team requires them.

We got very frustrated trying to get the cheapest £1.50 Sports Direct boil and bite ones fitted, despite involving several friends and buying five of them! Dunno what we were doing wrong. Then tried the slightly more expensive ones from Sports Direct which were about £8 and had no difficulty with those. You do have to remould them regularly as the child's teeth change and will probably need a new one each year regardless.

I never would have managed to get dd to wear it if it weren't compulsory.

DD's in primary school but from Y5 they have to have a gum shield for hockey. We also just use the boil and bite type ones for now - when she is older and her teeth more settled we will look at dearer orthodonist ones.

What everyone else said: a 'must' for rugby and hockey.

On the OPRO v boil'n'bite debate: imagine shelling out £25-30 for a gumshield and then they go and lose the darn thing within a month ..

DSs have to have them for rugby & hockey. like Edit's they have boil-and-bite ones as their orthodontist virtually made me sign in blood to say I wouldn't get them one of the fitted ones until they were both fully grown. He is utterly appalled that the fully fitted ones are used for children whose teeth are still moving. In fact, he went so far as to say the company making them should be sued but I think that may be OTT!!

I've played a lot of hockey. I've seen a LOT of injuries - a few broken noses and numerous teeth being knocked out, as well as the usual bruises to legs. I would definitely recommend a mouth guard. And if she gets involved in a team playing games and is a defender she'll need a face mask for the short corners. And shin pads are 100% required, especially with less experienced players who may accidentally lift the ball or hit someone with their stick.

Totally agree with Jolly. I played hockey a few years ago and was shouldered in the face by another player I had no gum shield and I bit through my tongue. Not a pleasant sight and preventable had a been wearing a gum shield. So they do protect more than just teeth.
My DD still plays hockey (I have retired!) and uses a boil in the bag one but the Shock Doctor make. They are more expensive than the £2.95 one discussed about but possibly have more protection.

Interesting about the boil ones - think I may raise this with school.

Just checked and dd's school shop sold us a Shock Doctor Gel Max (£15 ish) but you can preorder an Opro fitting (min £35-40) . Are they easy to remould and is there a limited to the number of times (dd has just lost a molar so the others may well follow and new ones appear during the season). We've had Opro before but they don't seem good value unless child plays several times a week.

ds has boil-and-bite for hockey and rugby, from year 4 onwards.

dd is about to start y3 and needs one for hockey, but she is having a vvv expensive fitted one from opro at school because she has a big gap where her two top front teeth are missing and just starting to come through. I don't feel confident fitting one properly like this, and what happens as the teeth grow through?? Opro's problem in this case.

Dd going into year 10 started playing rugby this year and we bought her a gum shield for that.
However she got braces today, so not sure what to do about gum shield now.

"she is having a vvv expensive fitted one from opro at school because she has a big gap where her two top front teeth are missing and just starting to come through. I don't feel confident fitting one properly like this, and what happens as the teeth grow through?? Opro's problem in this case."

Is it? I didn't think Opro provided extra fittings / replacements / updates as part of their service. Won't you have to shell out again for a new one soon?

My DS's both had fitted ones for rugby. They aren't even allowed to train without them in.

Please note.....a hot wash will destroy them. Even if they are brand new and worn once.....sigh. DO check pockets of shorts....

IIRC, the fitted Opro ones leave gaps for missing teeth to grow into.