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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Gum shields -advice please !

36 replies

MaryAnnSingleton · 07/09/2008 11:41

trying to fit ds' gum shield but it makes him gag and he won't put it right in his mouth - I tried on me and it did make me gag a bit and obviously ds' mouth is smaller...can you trim them ? I have suggested he plays around with it,getting used to putting it in his mouth and gradually putting it further in before we can fit it properly. Failing that, would our dentist do it,do you think ? he was getting v stressed and dh was getting cross - arghh !

OP posts:

Freckle · 07/09/2008 12:14

Dentists will fit gum shields, but they have to take an impression of the teeth first. DS2 has thrown up 3 times getting an impression taken - fortunately we know to warn the dentist now!

Original poster

MaryAnnSingleton · 07/09/2008 12:15

OP posts:

Original poster

MaryAnnSingleton · 07/09/2008 12:15

thanks freckle - just noticed your reply after I'd bumped this..

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3littlefrogs · 07/09/2008 12:17

The only gum shields that are any good are the ones made by the dentist. Even if he gags a bit, at least the shield will fit properly and will be effective, so it will have been worthwhile.

Original poster

MaryAnnSingleton · 07/09/2008 12:21

mmm, think that miht be the solution for us..will give this a little more practice and if not working will see dentist - thanks all

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Freckle · 07/09/2008 12:23

Do be prepared to fork out though. When DS2 had his gumshield done by a dentist organised by his rugby club it cost £25 (because there were loads of boys to fit). When our dentist did it, it cost £40!

3littlefrogs · 07/09/2008 12:25

Even £40 is a good deal when you consider the cost of orthodontic work if the teeth get broken! With so little dentistry available on the NHS, everything costs a fortune.

Original poster

MaryAnnSingleton · 07/09/2008 12:27

ds is unlikely to be a big football/rugby player as he is totally unsporty and the last person to get into any contact sports, but obviously accidents can happen..will see what's what in the next few weeks

OP posts:

3littlefrogs · 07/09/2008 12:29

Ah - ok. Mine is a regular rugby player - he plays for the school and his local club, so obviously his chances of injury are obviously higher! In fact he is playing later today, so will arrive home covered with at least an inch thickness of mud all over.

NL3 · 07/09/2008 13:29

you can get them done by the dentist. There is also a company called opro that carries out visits to schools and rugby, hockey, boxing clubs (www.opro.co.uk) where they take an impression (they do home kits as well)and then send you out the mouthguard. Excpect to pay about £40 for this. Agree with previous posters about getting a good quality one - the cost of fixing the broken teeth after the fact is prohibitive. Boil and bite ones are ok for beginners and younger children who are still losing their teeth.
hth

Original poster

MaryAnnSingleton · 07/09/2008 14:13

thanks NL3 - he is 11 and still has milk teeth as well as adult teeth

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roisin · 07/09/2008 19:30

ds1's school says gum shields are optional.

He did "tag rugby" in the rain and the mud on Friday and was very unimpressed by the whole experience. (He's fit - we do a lot of walking/hiking - but he isn't well co-ordinated, and doesn't like traditional 'sport'.) I expected his kit to be caked in mud, but there were only a very few splashes on his shorts, a tiny bit on his socks, even his boots weren't very muddy.

When I questioned him about it he said he mostly just tried to keep out of the way and out of the mud! They only have a 50 min lesson (including getting changed both ends) and there are no showers these days and it's the beginning of the day. So getting completely caked in mud would not have been a great idea.

Original poster

MaryAnnSingleton · 07/09/2008 20:40

the school advises the use of them but don't think they're compulsory !

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MrsGuyOfGisbourne · 12/09/2008 17:24

Have just found this thru search as DS1 is at new school (only new pupil in his calss, so all others have them - DS has never played rugby before )where they are compulsory. Opro visited this week to take impression - will cost £39.95, but no-one has said how long it will take, (and I do not thisnk to ask) so am thinking of buying a temporary one from Argos this weekend as he will otherwise miss two rugby sessions next week. Like Roising's son, he is not ken - thye did some training today and apart forma a bit of mud on the studs the rest of the kit was pristine
Any views on the 'Shock Doctor' Junior I have provisionally reserved from Argos...?

Original poster

MaryAnnSingleton · 12/09/2008 20:39

ds has a Shock Doctor for ages 11 to adult, as recommended by sports shop - this seems to be a bit big for ds, but I have no knowledge of these things I'm afraid - it might be that ds' mouth isn't huge which is why he finds it uncomfortable. It's meant to be a good make though.

OP posts:

butterflymum · 14/09/2008 17:01

Quote: "can you trim them"

We bought a gumshield for our son the other week. He had problems with it and said it was uncomfortable. Husband tried helping him put it in - no use.

Anyway, next day I picked up the packet it came in and found myself asking hubby and son if they had read the directions. At first use, the gum shield had to be immersed in boiling water then (when slightly cooled), put into mouth, whereupon you had to bite hard then suck against roof of mouth.

Duly done, the gum guard now fits a treat (according to son).

Original poster

MaryAnnSingleton · 14/09/2008 19:28

yes,we did the boiling bit etc but still v uncomfortable !

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butterflymum · 15/09/2008 12:05

That's a pity. We just started with a basic Admiral Gum Shield, sold in Asda, as we didn't want to go to the expense of something better if he couldn't bear wearing one.

Original poster

MaryAnnSingleton · 15/09/2008 13:01

we'll try again with this one,and I'll try trimming the ends..

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snorkle · 15/09/2008 13:35

Opro usually arrive in 2-3 weeks in my experience MrsGuy. The fitted ones are more comfortable than the boil & bites in my experience - ds would use opro but always struggled hugely with the others.

unclefluffy · 15/09/2008 15:24

I play rugby and a lot of women trim the very back of the boil-in-the-bag mouthguards as women seem to have smaller mouths than men. No idea whether it's recommended, but it's often done! I can't see that it would affect their integrity that much... I have a dentist's mould, though, because I am paranoid. Cost me about 35 quid, I think.

Original poster

MaryAnnSingleton · 15/09/2008 16:19

thanks unclefluffy !

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CowsGoMoo · 16/09/2008 00:47

Hi, My son plays rugby, football, and hockey at school as well as karate out of it, and needs a mouthguard for when he is in matches, competitions. His school and karate club only recommend the dentist made ones as the boil and bite ones apparently can never fit as well as the ones made from making an impression of the mouth and teeth.

We have always got his through his school which he uses for all his sports. The dentist comes to school at the beg of the school year and does an impression (OPRO) and the mouthgard appears a few weeks later and has always been a perfect fit, It also has his name in it, can't explain properly but its part of the actual mouthguard so it can always bee reunited with him if it happens to get lost. I have just paid £37.45 for his in an urban design! black with a white 'street design'???

This is quite expensive compared to the boil and bite ones but hugely cheaper than my own dentist who quoted me £65. Sept last year so goodness knows the cost of it this year!

However when reconstructive work on front teeth can go into thousands of pounds (no kidding) £37 is really very cheap!

hth

Cat

Original poster

MaryAnnSingleton · 16/09/2008 09:13

thanks for that CowsGoMoo

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CostaRicanCod · 16/09/2008 09:15

aaaah
mary ann
we were there wiht ds2
right oyu need to find a dental manufatruere and see if they do them at the site
there is one in Fordignbridge hants if you are on the south coast.
the dentist charged us triple what he did

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