Participating in athletics brings many benefits — improved fitness, teamwork, and confidence — but it also introduces the risk of dental and facial injury. Impacts from elbows, balls, sticks, and playing surfaces can chip, fracture, or completely dislodge teeth. Beyond tooth damage, blunt force to the mouth can cause soft-tissue lacerations, jaw injuries, and costly restorative needs down the line. A properly fitted mouthguard acts as a first line of defense, absorbing and dispersing forces that would otherwise impact delicate oral structures.
Parents, coaches, and athletes often underestimate how quickly a single incident can change the course of a season or a smile. For contact and collision sports — including football, hockey, lacrosse, and certain martial arts — protection is essential. Even in non-contact activities, falls and accidental strikes are common enough that a protective device makes practical sense. The goal is not to eliminate risk entirely but to reduce the severity of injuries when they occur.
Wearing a mouthguard also promotes confidence on the field. Players who know their mouth is protected can focus more on performance and strategy and less on fear of injury. From youth leagues to recreational adult play, preventive measures like mouthguards help preserve both oral health and quality of life after an athletic mishap.
There are three primary categories of sports mouthguards available to athletes today: stock (ready-to-wear), boil-and-bite, and custom-made devices. Stock mouthguards come preformed and are typically the least expensive option, but their universal fit often compromises comfort and retention. Boil-and-bite guards improve fit by allowing the wearer to mold softened material around the teeth, offering a better balance between convenience and protection.
Custom mouthguards are created from precise impressions of the athlete’s teeth and jaw, producing the most accurate fit and consistent coverage. Because they are fabricated in a dental laboratory, custom devices tend to be thinner while still providing excellent shock absorption. This slim profile enhances speech and breathing, making them less intrusive during play.
Choosing the right type depends on individual needs: how often the athlete plays, whether orthodontic appliances are present, and the level of protection required for a particular sport. While stock and boil-and-bite options provide some benefit, evidence and clinical experience show that a tailored mouthguard offers superior fit, comfort, and long-term protection.
Custom mouthguards rely on a combination of accurate dental records and layered materials engineered to dissipate impact energy. The process begins with a careful impression or digital scan of the teeth, which guides a laboratory technician in building a guard that follows the natural contours of the athlete’s bite. This precise fit reduces movement inside the mouth and minimizes friction-related sores and irritation.
Materials commonly used for custom guards include multi-layered thermoplastics that provide both rigidity and controlled flexibility. The outer layers help spread force across a wider surface area, while inner layers cushion and absorb sudden impacts. Properly constructed custom guards maintain their shape and protective properties over repeated use, which is particularly important for athletes who train or compete frequently.
Another advantage of custom fabrication is the ability to incorporate performance-focused features — such as reduced thickness in areas that support breathing and speaking — without sacrificing protective coverage. The result is a device that feels natural during activity while delivering consistent defense against dental trauma.
Athletes with braces, bridges, crowns, or other dental restorations require special attention when selecting a mouthguard. Fixed orthodontic appliances can increase the risk of soft-tissue injury during impact, so a guard designed to cover both brackets and teeth may be recommended. These appliances typically need additional space within the guard to avoid interference with orthodontic movement and to prevent damage to wires and brackets.
For young athletes whose mouths are still changing, periodic adjustments or remakes are often necessary. Growth, eruption of new teeth, and orthodontic treatment can alter fit over time, so regular evaluations ensure the guard continues to perform as intended. Pediatric guards are available in sizes and materials suited to younger mouths, balancing protection with comfort and compliance.
When dental restorations are present, the guard must provide stable support and help prevent contact forces that could dislodge or damage prosthetics. A dental professional can assess the current condition of restorations and recommend a guard design that reduces concentrated stress on vulnerable areas.
Routine care extends the useful life of any mouthguard and keeps it hygienic. Daily rinsing after use, occasional gentle brushing with a toothbrush, and storage in a ventilated case are practical maintenance steps. Avoid exposing the guard to high heat or direct sunlight, which can deform its shape and reduce protective properties. Regular inspections help identify signs of wear, tears, or changes in fit that could compromise safety.
Fit checks should be part of every season or training cycle. A well-fitting guard should stay securely in place without constant repositioning and should allow for clear breathing and comfortable speech. If an athlete notices looseness, new pressure points, or visible damage, it’s time to consult a dental professional. Small defects often indicate underlying material fatigue that could fail during a critical moment.
Because children grow and dental situations change, replacement intervals vary by age, usage, and wear patterns. High-impact athletes or those who play multiple sports may require more frequent evaluation. A proactive approach to maintenance and timely replacement helps ensure consistent protection and reduces the risk of preventable injuries on the field.
At Addison Dental Studio, we view sports mouthguards as an important part of any athlete’s protective gear. If you’d like personalized guidance about the best mouthguard for your situation, please contact us for more information.
A sports mouthguard is a protective device worn over the teeth to absorb and distribute forces from impacts to the face and jaw. By reducing the direct transmission of force to teeth, gums, and supporting bone, a mouthguard lowers the risk of chips, fractures, and tooth avulsion during athletic activity. It also helps protect soft tissues such as lips, cheeks, and the tongue from lacerations caused by contact with teeth during collisions.
Beyond immediate dental protection, a properly fitted mouthguard can help preserve long-term oral health by preventing injuries that often require extensive restorative treatment. Athletes who wear mouthguards can feel more secure and focus on performance rather than fear of injury. For sports with a high likelihood of contact or falls, a mouthguard is considered an essential element of personal protective equipment.
Stock mouthguards come ready to wear but offer the least precise fit and often interfere with speech and breathing because they are made for a generic bite. Boil-and-bite guards allow some customization by softening thermoplastic material in hot water and molding it around the teeth, giving better retention than stock options. Custom mouthguards are fabricated from impressions or digital scans of the athlete’s teeth, delivering the most accurate fit, consistent coverage, and comfort.
The level of protection and comfort generally increases from stock to boil-and-bite to custom devices, with custom guards typically being thinner while maintaining excellent shock absorption. A tailored guard minimizes movement inside the mouth and reduces friction-related sores, which supports longer wear and better compliance. Choice of guard should be guided by factors such as frequency of play, level of contact, presence of orthodontic appliances, and the athlete’s need for clear breathing and communication.
A custom mouthguard begins with a dental assessment and an accurate record of the athlete’s teeth, either through a traditional impression or a digital intraoral scan. That model is used by a dental laboratory technician to fabricate a multi-layered thermoplastic device that follows the contours of the teeth and bite precisely. The construction process focuses on layering materials to balance rigidity for force distribution and inner cushioning for energy absorption.
After laboratory fabrication, the clinician checks the fit in the athlete’s mouth and makes any necessary adjustments to ensure retention, comfort, and unobstructed breathing. Custom guards can be designed with features that enhance performance, such as reduced bulk in areas that facilitate speech and airflow. Periodic re-evaluation ensures the guard continues to fit well as dental conditions change.
Mouthguards are primarily designed to protect teeth and soft tissues, and research on their role in preventing concussion is ongoing and mixed. Some studies suggest that a well-fitting mouthguard can help dissipate forces transmitted through the jaw and temporomandibular joint, which may moderately reduce the risk or severity of certain types of head impacts. However, mouthguards should not be viewed as a definitive concussion-prevention device; they are one component of a broader safety strategy that includes proper technique, helmets when appropriate, and rule enforcement.
When concussion prevention is a specific concern, athletes and coaches should prioritize sport-specific protective equipment and safety protocols while still using mouthguards to reduce dental trauma. As part of a comprehensive approach to head and facial safety, a custom mouthguard provides the best balance of fit and comfort, which helps maintain consistent use during practices and competition. Ongoing evaluation of emerging evidence can inform how mouthguards are integrated into overall protective strategies.
Athletes with braces, fixed orthodontic appliances, crowns, bridges, or implants require a mouthguard designed to accommodate those conditions and protect vulnerable areas. For braces, a guard should provide extra coverage and spacing to minimize soft-tissue injury and avoid putting pressure on wires or brackets; sometimes a specialized appliance or more frequent adjustments are recommended. When restorations are present, the guard must be stable and designed to reduce concentrated forces that could stress prosthetics or cause displacement.
A dental professional can assess the particular needs of an athlete with orthodontic appliances or restorations and recommend the most appropriate guard type and design. Periodic rechecks are important because orthodontic treatment and changes in restorations can alter fit over time. Custom fabrication is often the best option in these situations because it can be tailored to provide protection while respecting ongoing dental treatment.
Proper maintenance extends the life of a mouthguard and helps prevent bacterial buildup that can affect oral health. Rinse the guard with cool water after each use, clean it gently with a soft toothbrush and mild soap or a nonabrasive toothpaste, and allow it to air dry before storing it in a ventilated case. Avoid exposing the device to direct sunlight, hot water, or sealed environments that can promote warping or microbial growth.
Regularly inspect the guard for signs of wear such as tears, thinning, or discoloration, and follow up with a dental professional if any damage is found. For storage, keep the guard in its protective case and out of reach of pets and small children who might chew or damage it. Consistent hygiene and careful storage help maintain protective properties and athlete comfort.
A properly fitting mouthguard should stay securely in place without constant repositioning, allow comfortable breathing and speech, and feel snug against the teeth and gums without causing pressure points. If the guard moves, causes new sore spots, interferes with breathing, or shows visible deformation or tears, it no longer provides reliable protection and should be evaluated. Fit checks are particularly important at the start of each season or training cycle and after any dental work.
Children and adolescents require more frequent replacement due to growth and tooth eruption, while adult athletes should still monitor wear patterns and performance. Even when surface damage is not obvious, material fatigue can compromise shock-absorbing properties, so consult a dental professional for an inspection if you have any doubt about a guard’s integrity. Proactive replacement based on fit and condition helps ensure consistent safety during play.
High-quality mouthguard design aims to minimize interference with breathing and speech so athletes can perform without distraction. Custom-made guards are typically thinner in targeted areas and shaped to preserve airway space and tongue position, which supports clearer speech and easier inhalation. Boil-and-bite options can sometimes be adjusted for a better balance of retention and airflow, while stock guards are more likely to impede performance because of their bulk and poor fit.
Choosing a guard that fits well and allows natural tongue placement will reduce the need to remove it during activity, increasing both protection and compliance. Trainers and clinicians can recommend designs that prioritize breathing and communication for athletes in positions that require constant verbal coordination. Proper fit testing during a professional fitting helps ensure the device supports, rather than hinders, on-field performance.
Youth athletes benefit from guards designed to accommodate growth, tooth eruption, and changes associated with orthodontic treatment. Pediatric mouthguards are offered in sizes and materials that balance protection with comfort and flexibility, and clinicians often recommend more frequent evaluations to confirm ongoing fit. In many cases, a custom or professionally adjusted boil-and-bite guard provides superior retention and fewer pressure points, encouraging regular use among younger players.
Because children's mouths change rapidly, parents and clinicians should schedule fit checks at regular intervals and after significant dental milestones such as the loss of primary teeth or the start of braces. Education on proper care and gentle cleaning helps maintain hygiene and prevents premature wear. A proactive approach ensures that growing athletes remain protected throughout the development of their smiles.
At Addison Dental Studio, the custom mouthguard process begins with a clinical assessment to determine the athlete’s needs and any special considerations such as orthodontics or restorations. We then record the oral anatomy using an impression or a digital scan, which serves as the blueprint for laboratory fabrication of a multi-layered, performance-focused guard tailored to the individual bite and activity demands.
Once the guard is fabricated, the clinician evaluates fit, retention, and comfort, making fine adjustments as needed to support breathing and communication during play. Follow-up visits ensure continued fit over time and allow for replacement or modification as dental conditions change, helping athletes maintain consistent protection season after season.
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