Updated September 2026
Sports injuries don't only involve knees, ankles and shoulders. A collision, fall, ball, stick, elbow or other impact can also fracture, loosen, displace or completely knock out a tooth—and injure the lips, cheeks and other tissues around the mouth.
This guide focuses specifically on sports-related dental and oral injuries: how they happen, which injuries athletes may experience, how mouth guards help reduce risk and what to do if a dental injury occurs.
How Common Are Dental Injuries in Sports?
Dental trauma isn't limited to professional athletes or traditionally aggressive contact sports.
The American Dental Association notes that athletes of different ages, skill levels and genders can experience dental injuries during organized and unorganized recreational activities. Collision and contact sports present obvious risks, but dental injuries also occur in activities that aren't always considered high-contact.
Basketball, for example, doesn't involve helmets or intentional striking, yet players can take an elbow to the mouth, collide while going for a rebound or hit the floor during a fall. Hockey adds sticks, pucks and high-speed collisions. Combat sports intentionally place athletes within striking distance.
Even activities such as gymnastics, skating and bicycling can expose the mouth to injury through falls.
That's why dental protection is better considered according to injury risk rather than simply whether a sport is traditionally labeled “contact” or “non-contact.”
What Are the Most Common Sports-Related Dental Injuries?
“Dental injury” can describe several very different problems. Some require relatively straightforward restorative care; others are genuine dental emergencies.
Chipped or Fractured Teeth
An impact can break a small portion of enamel or produce a deeper fracture involving more of the tooth. The severity and treatment depend on how much tooth structure is involved.
Displaced Teeth
A tooth may be pushed sideways, inward, outward or deeper into its socket without being completely knocked out. These injuries require prompt professional evaluation.
Knocked-Out Teeth
A permanent tooth can be completely displaced from its socket. This is called an avulsion and requires urgent dental attention.
Soft-Tissue Injuries
Impacts can also injure the lips, cheeks, tongue and other oral tissues, sometimes in combination with tooth injuries.
Which Sports Put Teeth at Risk?
The obvious answer includes sports where collisions and blows to the face are expected—but the list is broader than many people realize.
Current ADA guidance recommends properly fitted mouth guards for sporting and recreational activities with significant risk of dental trauma or orofacial injury. Its examples span both contact/collision sports and limited-contact or other activities.
| Type of Activity | Examples | How Dental Injury May Occur |
|---|---|---|
| Collision / contact | Football, hockey, rugby, wrestling | Player contact, falls, equipment or high-speed collisions |
| Combat | Boxing, MMA, martial arts | Direct strikes and other impact to the face or jaw |
| Ball sports | Basketball, baseball, soccer, softball | Player collisions, falls, elbows, balls or equipment |
| Fall-risk activities | Gymnastics, skateboarding, skating, bicycling | Falls onto a hard surface or equipment |
The practical question isn't simply, “Is this officially a contact sport?” It's “Is there a realistic way my teeth or mouth could take an impact?”
How Do Mouth Guards Help Prevent Sports Dental Injuries?
Athletic mouth guards are designed to provide a resilient protective surface over the dental arch at greatest risk of injury, which is typically the upper arch.
According to the ADA, a properly fitted mouth guard should stay securely in position, provide appropriate coverage and absorb impact energy to help reduce transmitted forces.
Mouth guards can also help separate the teeth from the lips and cheeks during an impact, providing protection from some soft-tissue injuries.
The evidence supporting mouth guards for dental and orofacial protection is substantial. The ADA's current review cites systematic reviews and studies showing lower rates of dental trauma among athletes who wear mouth guards compared with those who don't.
For a deeper look at the evidence and benefits, read Why Wear a Mouth Guard for Sports?
Can a Mouth Guard Prevent Every Dental Injury?
No.
A mouth guard reduces risk; it doesn't eliminate it.
The amount and direction of an impact, the sport, the athlete's dental anatomy, the condition of the teeth and restorations, and the fit and design of the mouth guard can all influence what happens during an injury.
This distinction matters because protective equipment should never be described as a guarantee.
A properly fitted mouth guard can meaningfully reduce dental-injury risk while still being unable to prevent every chipped, fractured, displaced or avulsed tooth.
Does a Sports Mouth Guard Prevent Concussions?
This is a different question from dental protection.
Evidence supporting mouth guards for reducing dental and orofacial injuries is much stronger and more consistent than evidence for concussion prevention.
The ADA describes the research on mouth guards and concussion incidence as mixed. Some studies have reported associations with reduced concussion rates, while others have not found significant differences.
For that reason, a sports mouth guard shouldn't be sold or relied upon as proven concussion-prevention equipment.
Use the appropriate helmet, face protection and other sport-specific safety equipment when indicated, and follow established concussion protocols after a suspected head injury.
What Makes a Sports Mouth Guard Protective?
Protection isn't determined by one characteristic alone.
Current ADA guidance describes an ideal athletic mouth guard as one that fits the wearer's mouth appropriately, stays comfortably and securely in place, is made from resilient and physiologically compatible material, is relatively easy to clean and provides high-impact energy absorption.
In practice, several characteristics work together:
Fit & Retention
The guard should remain properly positioned during activity rather than requiring constant biting or repositioning.
Coverage
The appliance should provide appropriate coverage of the dental arch it is designed to protect.
Material & Construction
Athletic mouth guards use resilient materials intended to absorb and distribute forces associated with impact.
Wearability
Protection only helps when the athlete actually wears the guard, making comfort and practical usability important.
Is a Custom Mouth Guard Better Than Boil-and-Bite?
Custom mouth guards offer greater control over fit, retention, borders, coverage and material distribution because they're fabricated from an individual's dental anatomy.
That can translate into meaningful advantages in comfort and wearability.
But it would be too broad to say that every custom mouth guard protects better than every boil-and-bite guard in every situation.
The ADA notes that while custom guards are considered by many to be the most protective option, other mouth guards can also be effective when they're properly fabricated and consistently worn.
A properly fitted boil-and-bite guard can therefore be a legitimate protective option—particularly when it fits securely and the athlete will reliably wear it.
For the full comparison, see Boil-and-Bite vs. Custom Mouth Guards.
Does a Thicker Mouth Guard Provide More Protection?
Not automatically.
Thickness is an important design variable, but it isn't the only one. Material, fit, retention, coverage, construction and the demands of the sport all matter.
A guard can also become impractical if excessive bulk makes it difficult for an athlete to tolerate during activity.
That's why “choose the thickest mouth guard possible” isn't a useful universal rule.
See How Thick Should a Sports Mouth Guard Be? for a more detailed look at thickness and protection.
What Should You Do if a Tooth Is Knocked Out During Sports?
A completely knocked-out permanent tooth is a dental emergency. Time matters, so the goal should be to obtain urgent professional dental care rather than waiting to see whether the area improves on its own.
If a Permanent Tooth Is Knocked Out
- Seek urgent dental care immediately. Contact a dentist or emergency dental service as quickly as possible.
- Handle the tooth carefully. Hold it by the crown—the part normally visible in the mouth—rather than touching the root.
- If the tooth is dirty, avoid scrubbing the root. Aggressive cleaning can damage tissues important to the tooth.
- Keep the tooth from drying out. Follow current dental-trauma guidance for appropriate handling and storage while obtaining emergency care.
- Do not assume the same instructions apply to a baby tooth. Avulsed primary teeth generally should not be replanted. Seek professional dental guidance.
The International Association of Dental Traumatology publishes dedicated guidelines for the management of avulsed permanent teeth. Because individual injuries differ, emergency instructions from a dentist or appropriate healthcare professional should take priority over general online information.
What if the Tooth Is Chipped but Not Knocked Out?
A chipped tooth can range from a small enamel fracture to a much deeper injury involving internal tooth structures.
Because it isn't always possible to determine the depth of a fracture by looking at it, dental evaluation is appropriate—particularly when there is pain, sensitivity, bleeding from the tooth, mobility or a substantial piece is missing.
If you can locate a broken tooth fragment, keep it and bring it with you to the dental appointment.
What if a Tooth Looks Crooked After an Impact?
A tooth that suddenly appears pushed backward, forward, sideways or deeper into the gum after trauma may have been displaced within its socket.
Don't assume it will simply move back into position on its own.
Prompt dental evaluation is important because treatment depends on the type of displacement, the tooth involved and the surrounding tissues.
Should Athletes With Braces Wear Mouth Guards?
Athletes with orthodontic appliances still need protection from sports-related impacts—and braces can create additional concerns because brackets and wires sit against the lips and cheeks.
The appropriate mouth guard needs to accommodate the orthodontic appliances and, particularly in growing patients or during active tooth movement, allow for changes in dental position.
If you wear braces, ask your orthodontist or dentist about an athletic mouth guard appropriate for your treatment.
When Should a Sports Mouth Guard Be Replaced?
A mouth guard should be inspected regularly rather than replaced according to one universal calendar.
Reasons to replace one can include tears, cracks, significant distortion, loss of retention, uncomfortable changes in fit, dental treatment that alters the teeth, or growth and orthodontic changes in younger athletes.
If the appliance no longer fits securely or its condition has substantially deteriorated, don't assume it offers the same performance it did when new.
Don't Forget to Clean Your Mouth Guard
A sports mouth guard goes into your mouth repeatedly, gets handled during practice and games, and may spend hours inside a case or gym bag.
Routine care matters.
Rinse the appliance after use, clean it according to the manufacturer's recommendations, allow it to dry completely and store it in a clean, ventilated case.
For our full care protocol, see How to Clean a Sports Mouth Guard.
How Sentinel Approaches Sports Mouth Protection
At Sentinel, we don't think a sports mouth guard should be evaluated by one feature—or marketed with promises that protective equipment can't realistically make.
Athletic mouth protection involves fit, retention, coverage, material, thickness, construction and wearability working together.
Our custom sports mouth guards are fabricated from the athlete's individual dental anatomy, allowing the appliance to be adapted to the person's teeth rather than relying on a standardized shape.
Custom fabrication doesn't make an athlete invulnerable to dental injury. The goal is to provide a properly fitted athletic mouth guard that offers appropriate protection while remaining practical enough to wear during the sport.
Choosing Protection for Your Sport
Different sports expose athletes to different types of contact, impacts and equipment, so we've created more specific guides for several activities.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sports Dental Injuries
What is the most common type of dental injury in sports?
Sports-related dental trauma can include tooth fractures, displaced teeth and completely knocked-out teeth, along with injuries to the lips and cheeks. The type and frequency of injury vary by sport, age and mechanism of impact.
Do mouth guards really protect teeth?
Yes. Evidence reviewed by the American Dental Association supports mouthguard use for reducing the incidence and severity of sports-related dental and orofacial injuries. They reduce risk rather than eliminating the possibility of injury entirely.
Can you still break a tooth while wearing a mouth guard?
Yes. No mouth guard can prevent every injury. The force and direction of impact, condition of the teeth, fit and design of the appliance and other factors can affect the outcome.
Which sports need mouth guards?
Mouth guards are especially important in activities with meaningful risk of dental or orofacial trauma. That includes many collision and contact sports as well as activities involving balls, sticks, falls or high-velocity movement.
Is a custom mouth guard always more protective than boil-and-bite?
Custom fabrication allows greater control over fit and design, but current ADA guidance acknowledges that other mouth guards can also be effective when properly fabricated and consistently worn. Fit, retention and actual use matter.
Can a sports mouth guard prevent concussion?
The evidence is much clearer for preventing dental and orofacial injuries than for preventing concussions. Research on concussion risk remains mixed, so a mouth guard shouldn't be relied upon as proven concussion-prevention equipment.
Is a knocked-out tooth an emergency?
Yes. A completely knocked-out permanent tooth requires urgent dental attention. Handle the tooth carefully by the crown, avoid scrubbing the root, keep it from drying out and seek professional care immediately. Different guidance applies to primary teeth.
Should children wear mouth guards for sports?
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry supports properly fitted mouthguard use in organized sporting activities that carry a risk of orofacial injury. Growing children and athletes undergoing orthodontic treatment may need their fit checked or appliances replaced more frequently.
The Bottom Line
Sports-related dental injuries can happen in a fraction of a second, and they aren't limited to professional athletes or the most aggressive contact sports.
A properly fitted athletic mouth guard is one of the most established ways to reduce the risk and severity of injuries to the teeth and mouth during sports.
But protection isn't absolute. The right approach combines appropriate mouth protection with the other safety equipment, rules and injury protocols required for the activity.
And if a dental injury does occur—particularly a knocked-out, displaced or badly fractured tooth—prompt professional dental care matters.
Sources & Editorial Methodology
- American Dental Association — Athletic Mouth Protectors (Mouthguards) . Updated August 2026.
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry — Policy on Prevention of Sports-Related Orofacial Injuries . Reference Manual of Pediatric Dentistry, 2026–2027.
- International Association of Dental Traumatology — Guidelines for the Evaluation and Management of Traumatic Dental Injuries . Includes guidance for fractures, luxations and avulsion of permanent teeth.
- International Association of Dental Traumatology & Academy for Sports Dentistry — Guidelines for the Prevention of Traumatic Dental Injuries .
Editor's note: This article was substantially updated in September 2026. The previous version addressed sports injuries broadly and included general advice about warming up and hydration alongside outdated claims about custom mouth guard superiority. The current article focuses specifically on Sentinel's area of expertise: sports-related dental and orofacial injuries, athletic mouth protection and evidence-based dental-trauma guidance.
This article is for general educational purposes and isn't a substitute for individualized dental or medical advice. Dental trauma can require urgent treatment. If a tooth is knocked out, displaced, badly fractured or otherwise seriously injured, seek prompt professional dental care.