Attitudes concerning mouthguard use in 7- to 8-year-old children

The purpose of this study was to determine the acceptance of 3 types of mouthguards 1) stock, 2) boil and bite, and 3) custom-made by 7-8 year old children playing organized soccer. Three teams volunteered to participate and the type of mouthguard was randomly selected for each team. The children were fitted for the mouthguards and after wearing them, a questionnaire was returned to the investigator. Eighty two percent of the children wearing custom made mouthguards and 87% of the boil and bite ranged from happy to enthusiastic about its use. None of the children provided stock mouthguards reported liking their use. Only 1 child in the custom group failed to wear the appliance during practice and games while the children in the stock group ranged from 20% to all of the time. Ninety five percent of the parents believe that children should wear mouthguards when injuries may occur. However, only 24% of the parents would be willing to pay $25.00 for this protection. It is concluded that mouthguards will be used by children during organized sports activities if they fit.