A sports guard is a dental appliance that is worn over teeth in order to protect the teeth and mouth from injuries sustained to the face and head. Anyone participating in a contact sport that involves body contact, falls, or flying equipment, should consider a sports guard. While sports guards can easily be found over the counter as stock and boil Mouthguards, and do offer some protection, they do not fit nearly as well as custom made sports guards, and can be bulky and make breaking and speaking difficult, which also lessens their effectiveness.
The most effective and best fitting sports guards are custom made by your dentist to specifically fit your unique mouth and teeth. Because they are custom fit, they are more comfortable and easier to wear than over the counter Mouthguards. A sports guard that is properly fitted can effectively absorb the shock of impacts, and protect teeth from potential chips and cracks, fractures, knockouts, and damage. It is especially important that those who wear braces or other fixed orthodontic appliances wear a sports guard because any impact to the mouth can damage brackets and wires of braces and can also cause added tears and cuts to the soft tissue inside of the mouth.