April Is National Facial Protection Month — And Spring Sports Are Just Getting Started
Every April, dentists across the country mark National Facial Protection Month for a simple reason: spring is one of the peak seasons for sports-related dental injuries among athletes ages 12 to 18. Baseballs, lacrosse sticks, softball line drives, and accidental elbows on a crowded pitch all converge the moment the weather warms up. For parents here in Crozet, that means the next eight weeks are when a knocked-out tooth becomes a genuine risk — and also when a small piece of custom equipment can prevent it entirely.
If your teen plays a spring sport at Western Albemarle, Henley, or a local club team, now is the right time to think about mouthguard protection before the first collision happens.
Spring Sports in Western Albemarle Carry Real Impact Risk
The Warriors’ spring athletic calendar is packed. Right now, Western Albemarle student-athletes are competing in:
- Boys and girls lacrosse — stick checks, ground balls, and body contact
- Baseball and softball — pitches, foul tips, and sliding collisions
- Track and field — pole vault, high jump, and relay exchanges
- Club soccer — headers and mid-air collisions at every age level
Many parents assume mouthguards are only a football or hockey concern. In reality, lacrosse is one of the leading causes of dental trauma in high school sports, and baseball and softball injuries — while less frequent — are often more severe because of the speed of the ball. A properly fitted mouthguard is one of the few pieces of equipment proven to meaningfully reduce that risk.
Why Boil-and-Bite Mouthguards Fall Short
The $15 boil-and-bite guard from the sporting goods aisle is better than nothing — but for a growing teenager, “better than nothing” is a low bar. Here’s what we see in the office after a season of boil-and-bite use:
- Poor fit as the jaw grows. Teens are still developing. A guard molded in September rarely fits correctly by April.
- Mouth breathing and reduced performance. Bulky stock guards make it harder to breathe deeply during sprints and long shifts.
- Loss of speech on the field. Lacrosse midfielders and softball catchers need to call plays. Cheap guards muffle voice and often get pulled out — which defeats the purpose entirely.
- No protection for braces or expanders. Many Western Albemarle athletes are mid-orthodontic treatment, and stock guards can actually damage brackets on impact.
A guard your teen won’t wear isn’t protection. It’s a false sense of security in a gym bag.
Custom-Fitted Mouthguards at Crozet Family Dental
A custom mouthguard takes two short visits and lasts a full competitive season:
Visit 1: Impressions (about 20 minutes)
We take a digital or traditional impression of your teen’s teeth. We quote the full cost upfront, and many families find it’s an affordable investment compared to a single emergency visit for a chipped front tooth.
Visit 2: Delivery and Fit Check (about 15 minutes)
Your athlete tries the guard, we check the bite, and we make any adjustments so they can breathe, talk, and drink water without pulling it out. We offer team colors — black and gold for the Warriors, or whatever club team your teen plays for.
As the family dentist Crozet VA parents have trusted for years, we also coordinate with local orthodontists so athletes in braces get a guard designed around their brackets, not in conflict with them.
What to Do If a Tooth Gets Knocked Out on the Field
Even with the best equipment, accidents happen. If your child takes a hit that knocks a permanent tooth completely out of the socket, the next 30 minutes are critical. The sooner the tooth is reimplanted, the better the odds of saving it long-term.
Follow these steps immediately:
- Find the tooth and pick it up by the crown (the top), never the root.
- Rinse gently with milk or saline if it’s dirty — do not scrub it.
- Try to place it back in the socket if your child is calm enough, and have them bite gently on a clean cloth.
- If reimplantation isn’t possible, store the tooth in cold milk or inside the cheek — not water.
- Call Crozet Family Dental immediately at (434) 823-4080. We maintain an after-hours line for exactly this situation.
Time matters more than almost anything else in a dental emergency. The faster a knocked-out tooth is back in its socket and stabilized, the better the chance of saving it for life.
Protect Your Athlete Before the Next Game
Spring sports in Crozet and Western Albemarle are some of the best parts of growing up here — the friendships, the Friday night games, the bus rides home. A custom mouthguard is a small, one-time investment that helps keep those memories intact and your teen’s smile where it belongs.
To schedule a mouthguard fitting before your next game or tournament, call Crozet Family Dental at (434) 823-4080 or stop by our office on Crozet Avenue. We’ll have your athlete protected and back on the field within two quick visits.