Choosing the Right Mouthguard to Protect Your Smile

Whether you’re playing hockey, biking, skateboarding, or joining a weekend soccer or baseball league, injuries can happen — and your teeth are often at risk. Mouthguards prevent hundreds of thousands of dental injuries every year, and damaged teeth are among the most expensive sports injuries to fix. Choosing the right mouthguard is one of the simplest, smartest investments you can make in your smile.

Why wear a mouthguard?

A mouthguard is a flexible dental appliance that absorbs and distributes the force of an impact, reducing the risk of:

• Chipped or broken teeth
• Jaw fractures
• Soft tissue injuries to the lips, cheeks, and gums
• Nerve damage to teeth

According to the Ontario Dental Association, anyone involved in contact sports — or any activity with a risk of falls — should wear a custom-fitted sports mouthguard.

One important note: while mouthguards are highly effective at preventing injuries to the mouth and face, their role in preventing concussions is limited. Helmets and other head protection remain essential for reducing concussion risk.

Many schools and sports leagues require mouthguards during practice and competition, but they’re worth wearing even when they’re not mandatory. Parents especially should make sure kids — who may not fully appreciate the risks — protect their winning smiles whenever there’s possible contact with other players or hard surfaces.

The three types of mouthguards

Not all mouthguards offer the same comfort, fit, or protection. Here’s how the options compare.

Stock (over-the-counter) mouthguards

These pre-formed, ready-to-wear guards are sold at most drugstores and sporting goods stores in standard sizes — small, medium, and large. They’re inexpensive and easy to find, but because they’re not shaped to your teeth, they tend to be bulky, less secure, and offer only minimal protection. An uncomfortable guard is also a guard that ends up in a gym bag instead of a mouth.

Boil-and-bite mouthguards

Made from a thermoplastic material, these soften in hot water and mould loosely to your teeth when you bite down. They fit better than stock guards and cost only a little more, but they still lack the precision, comfort, and durability of a custom-made guard.

Custom-fitted mouthguards

Custom guards are made by your dental team from an impression of your teeth, so they match the exact structure of your mouth and bite. They offer superior comfort, fit, and protection — ideal for high-impact sports and for anyone with braces or other dental appliances. Because they fit properly, athletes actually wear them, which is half the battle. Learn more on our mouthguards and bruxism page.

How to choose the right mouthguard

When deciding which guard is right for you or your child, consider:

• The sport. Different activities carry different levels of risk. For high-contact sports like hockey, football, and basketball, a custom-fitted sports guard is strongly recommended.
• Age and dental development. Children and teens may need new mouthguards periodically as their teeth and jaws grow.
• Existing dental work. If you or your child wears braces or another appliance, a custom mouthguard can be designed to accommodate it safely — something off-the-shelf guards can’t do.
• Comfort and fit. A mouthguard only works if it’s worn. Make sure it fits securely, allows normal breathing and speech, and is comfortable enough to keep in for a whole game.

What to expect when getting a custom guard

Getting a custom sports guard at our office is quick and painless. We take a mould of your teeth, and the guard is fabricated to match your mouth’s exact structure. The result is a personalized fit that stays put during play and provides far better protection for the important structures in your mouth than anything off the shelf. And it’s not just for athletes — if you grind or clench your teeth at night, a custom nightguard works on the same principle to protect your smile while you sleep.

Caring for your mouthguard

A little maintenance keeps your guard clean, effective, and comfortable:

• Rinse it with cool water before and after every use, and brush it gently with a soft toothbrush
• Store it in a ventilated case so it can dry between uses — never loose in a gym bag
• Keep it away from heat (hot water, direct sun, the dashboard of the car), which can warp the fit
• Check it regularly for wear, tears, or a loosening fit, and bring it along to dental check-ups so we can inspect it
• Replace it when it shows damage — and remember that growing kids will need a new custom guard as their teeth and jaws develop

Protect your smile before the season starts

Protecting your smile is just as important as improving your game. If mouthguards aren’t already on the equipment list for you or your kids, add them now — before the first practice, not after the first collision.

Call Cornwall Dental Arts at (613) 932-2058 or request an appointment to get a custom-fitted mouthguard or sports guard tailored to your needs. Then get out there and play with confidence, knowing your teeth are well protected.