(Gum Shields)
A custom sports mouth guard is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect your teeth, gums, and jaw during physical activity.
Whether it’s rugby training, a school hockey session, or Saturday football match – dental injuries can happen in seconds, and often when you least expect them.
Why are sports mouth guards important?
A blow to the face can cause:
- Broken or chipped teeth
- Teeth being knocked out completely
- Cuts to lips, cheeks, or tongue
- Jaw injuries
These injuries can be painful, distressing, and expensive to treat – and in some cases, the damage can be permanent or may require a lifetime of ongoing/repeated dental treatment.
A dentist made mouth guard acts like a shock absorber, spreading the force of impact and reducing the risk of serious injury.
When is a mouth guard needed?
If there’s any risk of contact, collision, or falls, a mouth guard is strongly recommended.
Common school and youth activities
Children and teenagers are particularly at risk because they are:
- Still developing coordination
- More likely to take risks
- Often playing in fast-paced environments
We commonly recommend mouth guards for:
- Rugby (high risk – essential)
- Football (especially competitive matches)
- Hockey (stick and ball injuries)
- Basketball (elbows and collisions)
- Martial arts
- Boxing
- Kickboxing
- Muay Thai
- Taekwondo (sparring)
- Karate (kumite / sparring)
- Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
- Judo
- Brazilian
- Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)
- Wrestling
- Cricket (especially close fielding or batting)
- Skateboarding / BMX / scootering
If you’re unsure, a simple rule:
If there’s a chance of impact to the face, wear a mouth guard.
Why not just use a shop-bought mouth guard?
Shop-bought mouth guards don’t protect as well
Most shop-bought (“boil and bite”) mouth guards don’t fully cover the teeth and gums.
Because of this:
- They don’t extend fully over the gums and jawbone
- The fit is often loose or uneven
- Impact forces are not spread as well across the teeth and jaw
What does that mean in real life?
When a knock happens, the force is concentrated on a few teeth instead of being absorbed across a wider area.
This increases the risk of:
- Chipped or broken teeth
- Teeth being pushed out of position
- Teeth being knocked out completely
Boil-and-bite mouth guards from sports shops are better than nothing – but they come with limitations:
- Bulky and uncomfortable
- Can make breathing and speaking harder
- Less secure fit (can fall out on impact)
- Do not spread the forces as well and so provide less protection
The benefit of a dentist made mouth guard
A custom mouth guard made by your dentist is designed specifically for your teeth and designed to:
- Closely fit the teeth and surrounding gum area and jawbone
- Extend to the correct depth for protection
- Distribute impact forces evenly across the upper jaw
Dentist made sports mouth guards spread the forces so they are not focused on individual teeth.
Benefits include:
- Better fit and design – better shock absorption and superior protection
- More Comfortable – stays in place during activity
- Durable and long-lasting
- Custom colours or designs available
For adults and children in regular sport, this is usually the best option.
What about with braces?
Mouth guards are even more important if you or your child has braces.
They help prevent:
- Damage to brackets and wires
- Cuts to lips and cheeks
- More complex dental injuries
We can provide mouth guards designed to accommodate braces safely.
How long does it take?
Getting a custom mouth guard is quick and straightforward, over 2 appointments:
- We take an impression of your teeth
- Our lab custom makes your guard to fit your mouth and teeth precisely
- You return after 8 days to collect your mouth guard
- We check the fit and explain how to use and clean it
A simple way to avoid a big problem
Dental injuries from sport are common – but largely preventable.
A well-fitting mouth guard can mean the difference between:
- Carrying on playing
- Or dealing with pain, emergency treatment, and long-term repeated dental treatments
Book an appointment
If you or your child plays sport regularly, it’s worth getting properly protected.
Book a consultation online today to get fitted for a custom sports mouth guard:
Sports Mouth Guard FAQ
Anyone taking part in activities where there is a risk of impact to the face should wear a sports mouth guard. This includes children, teenagers and adults involved in contact sports, martial arts, hockey, rugby, football, basketball, cricket, skateboarding, BMX and similar activities.
A mouth guard is strongly recommended for sports where there is a risk of collision, falls, contact with other players, or impact from equipment or a ball. These include rugby, hockey, martial arts, boxing, kickboxing, football, basketball, cricket, skateboarding, BMX and scootering.
Yes. Custom mouth guards are made by a dentist to fit the teeth precisely, providing superior comfort, retention and protection compared with shop-bought or boil-and-bite mouth guards. A better fit helps distribute impact forces more evenly and reduces the risk of dental injuries.
Yes. Children with braces should wear a sports mouth guard during sport to help protect their teeth, lips and orthodontic appliances from injury.
Children’s mouth guards should be reviewed regularly and replaced as they grow. If the guard becomes loose, uncomfortable or no longer fits properly, a replacement is recommended.
A dentist-made sports mouth guard provides a precise fit, superior comfort and reliable protection. It helps reduce the risk of chipped, fractured, displaced or avulsed teeth during sport.