Friday, December 9, 2016

The Female athlete and Sports -- A Good FIT?

CLICK N’ FIT Daily Bit



Finding the RIGHT Equipment

  FEMALE athletes and Sports

Female athletes are growing in numbers across all sports and at earlier ages than ever before.  As many have found out the hard way, finding equipment that fits and protects the woman athlete is not an easy task.  The female athlete is forced to 'fit' into what historically has been available to them which is the equipment made for the male athlete.  More and more manufacturer's and forward thinking individuals have put forth efforts to provide protective and effective equipment made for the female athlete over recent years.  

In many sports, females are not required to wear as much or the same equipment as their male counterparts.  And traditionally it has been the lack of head and facial protection.  As crazy as this sounds to us, it is true.  One would think protecting women's faces would be the highest priority! However, the absence of a 'requirement' doesn't mean that common sense and proactiveness should be discarded.  As history is the best means of education, in time these too will become requirements as more and more documentation and injuries occur that provoke a reassessment of the 'requirement'.  

With the lack of head gear in many sports such as lacrosse, field hockey, etc., women who do wear the traditionally purchased store bought boil and bite mouthguards have to clench their teeth or bite down on the mouthguard to keep it in their mouths.  This not only prohibits breathing properly and minimizes oxygen intake when competing but also significantly reduces the ability to communicate during the game or event.  In addition, with the poor fit of store bought mouthguards, the female athlete is increasingly exposed to risk of injury as the mouthguard tends to be shifted and floated within the mouth in an effort to breathe and communicate.  This scenario creates an unsafe situation for when there is expected or unexpected contact with the athlete.

When it comes to mouthguards, female athletes will no longer have to try and use youth models or mens' xtra small sizes in hopes to get a satisfactory 'fit'.  The Click N' Fit Custom Mouthguard is made specifically and perfectly for the individual female athelete's dental structure for an exact comfortable fit -- clicking up onto the teeth.  This is truely the female athlete's mouthguard -- Clicks IN and Stays IN!

For more information on our various selection of mouthguards and endless customization, visit us at www.clicknfitmouthguards.com or our online store to order your Click N' Fit.  If you have any questions, please contact us via email at info@clicknfitmouthguards.com.

Monday, November 28, 2016

What does Custom really mean?


CLICK N’ FIT Daily Bit


For PARENTS of those YOUTH athletes that are between the ages of 7-13 years old

can I still get a custom mouthguard if:
  • My child is still losing teeth ....
  • My child has some teeth missing ....
  • My child has a permanent retainer ....
  • My child has a some orthodontic wires in place for a period of time ....
  • My child has bonding on specific teeth, is that a problem ....
We hear many different concerns from parents of youth athletes regarding specific situations which are specific to their youth athlete.  Every situation, child, and circumstance is different so there may be different solutions or answers to similar concerns.  However, we hope that we can address and provide some education on the importance of the word CUSTOM and how it applies to Click N' Fit, our processes, and ultimately the impact on the custom mouthguards that our athletes wear.  There is no other company or mouthguard that is designed around as many specifications of the athlete than a Click N' Fit.

Click N' Fit has developed a proprietary modeling technique which provides for the most proactive anticipation and fabrication of a mouthguard to best fit and suit the specific athlete.  This technique allows for customization of the athletes impression and model prior to fabrication.

Losing Teeth
Once an impression is taken, the basic dental structure of the athlete is mirrored.  Therefore, if an athlete starts to lose teeth, the mouthguard itself is not minimally effected.  The teeth that were once there are still formed and fabricated in the mouthguard leaving the space for the secondary teeth to grow into.  Obviously every athlete is different so how and where the secondary teeth grow cannot be know.  Another mouthguard can be fabricated to account for the new teeth.

Missing Teeth
When teeth are missing, they can be seen and captured in the impression of the athlete.  Click N' Fit is able to customize the model of the impression to include or exclude teeth PRIOR to the fabrication of any mouthguard.  Therefore, mouthguards can be customized and modeled to factor in and anticipate secondary teeth BEFORE the mouthguard is made.  This allows for an additional 4-6 months of use for younger athletes to wear their Click N' Fit.  Most other mouthguards would only fit for the period of time until the secondary teeth started to grow in which could significantly reduce the lifespan of the mouthguard.

Orthodontic wires, spacers, etc.
As you can see from the sample on the right, the Click N' Fit mouthguard has captured all of the orthodontic wires as it pertains to this athlete's bridge expander.  The mouthguard clicks up onto the teeth perfectly without having ANY obstruction or interference from the orthodontic wires that are in place.  The notches and cutouts provide a secure fit with the utmost protection.





Bonding and Other Cosmetic Work
In the instances where bonding of single and multiple teeth are present, we are able to provide those teeth with ample spacing when sitting within the Click N' Fit Mouthguard.  Similar to the orthodontic and missing teeth concerns above, the Click N' Fit modeling techniques allow for custom modifications PRIOR to the fabrication of the mouthguard to provide the perfect fit and safest protection.  Bonded teeth are modeled so that the individual teeth have a 'looser' fit within their cavity of the mouthguard while all other teeth are perfectly and tightly fitted.

SO, BEFORE YOU DECIDE AGAINST A CLICK N' FIT MOUTHGUARD DUE TO ANY OF THESE REASONS, PLEASE THINK AGAIN.  THERE IS NO OTHER MOUTHGUARD THAT PROVIDES THE FIT AND CUSTOMIZATION LIKE THE CLICK N' FIT.

For more information on our various selection of mouthguards and endless customization, visit us at www.clicknfitmouthguards.com or our online store to order your Click N' Fit.  If you have any questions, please contact us via email at info@clicknfitmouthguards.com.

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Stop Complaining about Mouthguards! Is Safety and Protection REALLY #1 PRIORITY?


CLICK N’ FIT Daily Bit

Do you hear these complaints about MOUTHGUARDS?
  • I just chew it ....
  • No Mouthguard fits well ....
  • My Mouthguard is too big and gets in the way....
  • I can't breathe or talk with it in ...
  • Have to keep my mouth closed or teeth clenched so it doesn't fall out ....
  • It interferes and breaks my braces ....
We spend most of our time listening to the thousands of concerned directors, coaches, parents, and athletes we meet complaining about these same issues every time when it comes to Mouthguards.     Every sport has nearly mandated mouthguards or have recommended their use over the past decade and every medical and dental professional as well as research scientists agree that mouthguards are essential for athletes for preventing mouth and dental injuries as well as more and more evidence indicating their high levels of impact absorption to the jaw and brain.  So, why are mouthguards treated as an afterthought and viewed more as a formality rather than a necessity?  There is no piece of equipment more misunderstood than the mouthguard.

So, why don’t parents, players, coaches and athletic directors take mouthguards seriously? Where are our priorities when it comes to the best and most protective and effective equipment for our athletes?

More often than not, the mouthguard is treated by many as a mere nuisance.  Worse yet, parents who are responsible for protecting their children do not prioritize Mouthguards high on the equipment list.  We see parents, program directors, and athletes spending more money on buying tape, sticks, the latest accessories for their sport rather than even considering an investment in a good mouthguard which is and should be one of the most important pieces of equipment in the bag.  Part of the problem is the lack of proper education and awareness.  It is easy to fall back on the cheap substandard boil and bite store bought mouthguard that everyone has come to know.  And for all intensive purposes the store bought boil and bite mouthguard is primarily to blame as it promotes the issues and complaints mentioned above.  It is made to do everything everyone complains about.  We see mouthguards dangling from facemasks, stuck in helmets, "fish hooked" half in and half out of mouths, or just missing completely.  But, "something is better than nothing" is the typical irresponsible response.  So, are we surprised by the reaction and the perception of mouthguards by many of the "uneducated" or "inexperienced" folks?  No.  However, we hope this 'Daily Bit' will provide the necessary information and introduce you to what is available and change the priorities of many and why every athlete should where a Click N' Fit CUSTOM FITTED mouthguard.

As professional athletes and organization are teaming up with research scientists and and using various forms of custom fitted mouthguards, it is clearly a very important stance on the importance of custom mouthguards in sports.  Additionally, it signifies the types of Mouthguards that exist and quality of the mouthguards that should be used.   Professional and collage athletes where CUSTOM FITTED mouthguards for the fit, protection, and performance -- why shouldn't all youth athletes being wearing them as well??

Many if not all sports organizations' or leagues' rules mandate the use of Mouthguards at the youth level and more and more are requiring at the adult level as both a requirement and a recommendation.  However, in mandating such an important piece of equipment, there is no information on the types of mouthguards that are available and the level of protection they provide.  Let's talk about the options:

The Boil and Bite (or molded) store bought cheap mouthguard (most common) 

Having something we ‘guess’ is better than nothing, right? But, this substandard piece of equipment has essentially created the mouthguard’s bad rap and athletes are less and less protected because of their resistance to wearing the mouthguard properly.  Many reasons players do not like mouthguards— and consequently tend not to wear them are:
o    Hard to breath
o    Doesn’t fit well
o    Have to keep jaws closed or teeth clenched for it to stay in place or not fall out of ones mouth
o    Can’t talk
o    Uncomfortable

Like all other pieces of equipment, there isn't a one size fits all and they do not account for all different sizes and shapes of mouths or gender.  Many have struggled with boiling, cutting, re-boiling, re-cutting, etc. and it still does not fit.  This frustration has discouraged the use of the mouthguard because of the poor experience of trying to use it.  This unfortunately puts your children and athletes at great risk to serious injury.

The Custom-FITTED (not molded) Mouthguard made to perfection

Not to be confused with custom "moldable" which is the claim of boil and bite mouthguards, the custom fitted mouthguard is fabricated and custom made from the exact dental impression of the athlete.  This perfect snug fit of a custom fitted mouthguard allows athletes to breathe, talk, drink, run, jump, and feel comfortable to perform at the highest level while wearing it. The Click N' Fit "Clicks IN and Stays IN" place until it’s removed.  The purpose, importance, and effectiveness of a mouthguard is to be IN PLACE at the time of impact when you least expect it!  Absorbing the impact and minimizing serious injury is the goal.  The only way for this to occur is to wear a mouthguard that snaps up and clicks into place.

In addition, and often overlooked, it has also been noted that custom mouthguards are more sanitary (healthier) as well and have a far lower rate of bacterial transfer.  With store bought mouthguards being removed and inserted over 50 times more during a rugby or football game for example because of their poor fit, this increases the risk of illness due to bacteria, pesticides, and other harmful agents significantly.  Custom fitted mouthguard due to their perfect fit decreases this risk significantly as the need to remove and insert is minimal preserving the health of the athlete.  Think about how the athletes need to talk, drink, or adjust the their store bought mouthguard during a match or game -- almost every ten seconds.  Once an athlete wears a Click N' Fit custom fitted mouthguard, they will never wear another store-bought mouthguard again.

Safety, Protection, and Concussions

Do Mouthguards Prevent Concussions?
This has been a topic of debate as various studies have been done on helmets, facemasks, chin straps, and mouthguards and their effectiveness on PREVENTING concussions.  Injuries cannot be prevented however, steps to assist in minimizing the risk associated with serious injuries especially to the head, mouth, and jaw are possible.  Although testing will continue, it has been noted that since the use of helmets, mouthguards, chin straps, and facemasks, the incidence of head and oral facial injuries have decreased significantly over the past decade.  

It's clear that having a poorly fitting mouthguard that is not worn properly or even at all is not effective and serves no purpose to the athlete exposing them to risk of serious injury.  What we do know is that dental professionals are beginning to accept the early testing results that confirm, in theory, that a properly designed mouthguard—given proper thickness, adequate coverage of teeth surface and custom fit—can, in fact, play an important role in minimizing the incidence of impact and absorb and distribute the impact to the mouth, jaw, and brain that may lead to concussions.

You see more and more professional, college, and elite athletes wearing custom fitted mouthguards which indicates there is a significant importance to their safety.
          
Is the Cost Worth the Protection?
Not to offend any of you reading as we may have all been guilty of this at a time, here are the senseless statements or questions we are often asked or we receive as to reasons why someone decides NOT TO purchase a Click N' Fit Custom Mouthguard.

  • Why spend $80-$100 on a custom-fitted mouthguard when a cheap boil-and-bite can be found at any local sporting good store for less than $15? 
  • My kid is growing, why should I buy a custom mouthguard when my child will probably need a new one next season or in a couple years.  I'll think about it when they stop growing.  
  • Why should a female athlete or Canadian player spend that much on a mouthguard since it’s not required to wear one?
  • My kid is a goalie, they don't need (have) to where a mouthguard.

Professional athletes can be the best source of direction in this area as they have access to and spend countless resources in protecting themselves, their brands, and their organizations.  These athletes, trainers, and scientists continue their interest in finding the perfect mouthguard -- indicating there is probably a major benefit to it.

Those of us who have been buying store bought mouthguards probably purchase a minimum of 3-5 in a season equating to $40-$75+.  And, based on experience and the thousands of frustrated parents we speak to it is because the athlete has chewed the mouthgaurd until it is unrecognizable, lost it because it fell out of their mouths or off their facemask, tried to boiled and cut or trimmed it so many times it doesn't fit.... and the list goes on.  Clearly, these are all indications that the mouthguard is not being worn or used as it is intended.  Most importantly, it indicates there is a lack of safety and protection for the athlete over an entire season.

For about the same affordable price of buying multiple ineffective mouthguards and the piece of mind knowing that your athlete is protected at the highest level possible the cost is well worth it 10 times over.  We didn't even mention the dental or medical costs associated with fixing a chipped tooth, having teeth knocked out, biting through lips/tongues/or cheeks, teeth grinding, or worse suffering a head injury.

This is an investment in safety and protection for the lifetime of the athlete's career. Growth and change are a never ending process and the "excuse" that your child's still growing or his/her mouth is changing as a reason to not protect them is absurd.  So, is the right decision to not protect the athlete with proper equipment until they are 18-20 years old?  We know that large amounts of money are spent on equipment and accessories that are to enhance the performance of the athlete and continue to be purchased as the athlete improves.  Why would the decision to NOT protect the athlete during their growth with the proper mouthguard be any different?  Question of Priorities?


So, the next time you are thinking about a mouthguard, give it some more thought and realize the responsibility you have to yourself, your program, and/or your child when selecting the safest, most protective, and most effective mouthguard possible.  The Click N' Fit is an affordable professional high quality investment in protecting your athlete for them to achieve long-term success in whatever sport or activity they are competing in. 


For more information on our various selection of mouthguards and endless customization, visit us at www.clicknfitmouthguards.com or our online store to order your Click N' Fit.  If you have any questions, please contact us via email at info@clicknfitmouthguards.com.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Click N' Fit Daily BIT -- Real Education and BITs of Information Related to Click N' Fit Custom Mouthguards

Click N' Fit Custom Mouthguards is proud to partner with KidsGUARDINGKids.org and many local businesses, schools, academies, organizations, and medical trauma and concussion research centers to support the initiative of implementing protective equipment and safety standards across all levels of sports and activities.  In the effort to prevent or minimize the occurrences of concussions, mouth lacerations, or dental damage, mouthguards are becoming mandatory or pre-cautionary pieces of equipment for many sports and activities due to the instances of injury risk being realized across all levels of play.  However, unfortunately these very important pieces of equipment are significantly overlooked and the importance of the proper device and fit is not stressed enough or even recognized all.  Coincidently, this leads to improper use and in many cases a useless device which is highly unprotective and has lead to serious injury.

Click N' Fit Custom Mouthguards is a mobile custom mouthguard fabrication service that provides full service to our clients which includes on-site impressions, dental modeling, graphic designs, and full multi-layer professional dental mouthguard fabrication.  All phases of the process are performed seamlessly in our studio design lab.  We make the experience simple and fast.  Within minutes we can have an exact impression of the recipient's dental structure and we take the process from there. Due to our mobility, we are able to come to your program's location, school, academy, field, rink, etc.  There are no appointments or scheduling necessary.  We service both individuals and teams.  In addition, you are able to take full advantage of our services remotely as well.  Through our website, you will be able to select and purchase the type and design of your mouthguard and we will mail out our impression kit for you to make your own dental impression which takes less than 2 minutes.  Mail the impression back to us and we will do the rest.  

Click N' Fit Custom Mouthguards 
fabricates mouthguards
for all activities and sports, contact and non-contact for all ages of participants.  Our mouthguards are produced based on many factors and specifications specific to the recipient while maintaining the level of protection (low to high impact, 3mm to 7mm respectively) as necessary exceeding

 the  minimum standards as noted in concussion studies.  Essentially, our mouthguards are exact replicas of the recipient's mouth and 'clicks in and stays in' to allow for a perfect comfortable fit, allows for talking and drinking without having to remove the mouthguard, non-chewable Bio-plast orthodontic material which maintains optimal form and definition during its use.  Most store bought 'custom moldable boil and bit' mouthguards 'float' in or out of the player's mouth, are bulky or uncomfortable, prohibits talking or drinking, obstructs breathing, and loses structure and definition due to oral chewing and incorrect fitting.
 
One of the major concerns with parents, athletes, and directors of programs is the cost of providing such a device due to the high cost of a dental visit and lab fees, hassle of each individual making an appointment to see a dentist or orthodontist, and wait times in fabricating the device.  Due to our structure, belief in our initiative and promotion of safety and awareness, and partners and sponsors of our cause allows for us to produce dental/orthodontic grade professional mouthguards for a fraction of the cost of going to a general dentist or orthodontist who uses a 3rd party lab.  The average cost of our mouthguards are 200-600% less than traditional vendors or dentists WITHOUT the need for lengthy office visits or appointments, includes on-site impressions which enables hassle-free impressions without the need for individual appointments away from your program, and a personalized service for delivery.  In addition, we typically guarantee our devices within 7 business days (14 business days for special/custom devices) after impressions and we make ourselves accessible for on-site follow-ups and trimming or finishing should any adjustments be needed to get the perfect fit.

Becoming a partner and receiving the recognition of being a proactive ambassador and champion of the cause is EASY. Becoming any of the following 3 partners credits you or your organization to receive the positive endorsement and marketing for your efforts for exposing and offering support.

1. Direct partner - endorse the safety and protection initiative to your own program and athletes and budget or allocate funds to provide required devices as you would any other piece of equipment. Recognized as a supporter, initiator and champion of the safety and protection initiative. Unique opportunity for your program to be proactive, risk conscious, and a leader.

2. Support Partner - company or organization (local or national exposure) who endorses the initiative and program and provides funds, grants, or sponsorship to subsidize financial responsibility to the benefiting programs. Program receives financial assistance to offer the devices and the business/company (Supporting Partner) receives recognition, marketing, and exposure as a partner in the initiative through the benefiting program or organization.

3. Active Partner - organization or program that offers the devices to their recipients as a valuable elective piece of equipment of protection. The recipients/athletes/participants have the financial responsibility and determine their device. A variety of alternative means of funding or fund raising may subsidize the initiative and offer for the program such as including in registration fees, receipt of Support Partner funds, or participant fund raising. These funds may offset any cost to the recipients/participants as well as contribute to the support of the Active Partner's program.
So, please help us give back to your communities and make them a safer and more responsible environment for our athletes to compete and enjoy what they love to do.  We are proud to be a partner in this initiative and advocate for head and concussion injury prevention.  Click N' Fit Custom Mouthguards donates a portion of every moughguard made to specific concussion research and testing centers as well as community programs in the hopes of understanding head trauma and concussion prevention and developing standards and safety measures to benefit the future of all of our athletes and participants.