Whether you're stepping onto a basketball court, skating onto the ice or getting ready for a contact sport, protecting your teeth probably isn't the first thing on your mind. But it only takes one unexpected elbow, fall or collision to cause a dental injury that can follow you long after the game is over.
That's where a properly fitted sports mouth guard comes in.
Mouth guards are designed to provide a resilient layer of protection over the teeth and help reduce the risk and severity of sports-related injuries to the teeth and oral soft tissues. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends properly fitted mouth guards for sports and recreational activities where there is a meaningful risk of dental or orofacial injury.
Quick answer: Wearing a sports mouth guard can significantly reduce your risk of dental and orofacial injury during athletic activity. Mouth guards are especially important in contact and collision sports, but dental injuries can happen in many activities that aren't traditionally considered contact sports.
What Does a Sports Mouth Guard Protect?
A sports mouth guard creates a protective barrier over the teeth and helps absorb and distribute forces that reach the mouth during an impact.
Depending on the type of impact, a properly fitted mouth guard may help reduce injuries involving the:
- Teeth
- Lips
- Cheeks
- Tongue and other oral soft tissues
This matters because sports-related dental trauma can include chipped or fractured teeth, teeth that are displaced from their normal position, teeth that are completely knocked out and cuts to the lips or inside of the mouth.
The evidence for this protective role is substantial. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that athletes who did not wear mouth guards experienced more than twice the risk of orofacial injury compared with mouth guard users.
In other words, a mouth guard is a relatively simple piece of protective equipment that can make a meaningful difference when an impact reaches your mouth.
Why Should You Wear a Mouth Guard During Sports?
The most straightforward reason is also the most important: adult teeth don't grow back.
A broken or knocked-out permanent tooth can require emergency dental care and, depending on the injury, restorative treatment such as bonding, a crown, root canal treatment, an implant or other long-term dental care.
But tooth protection isn't the only reason athletes wear mouth guards.
1. They help reduce dental injuries
This is the benefit with the clearest scientific support. Mouth guards have consistently been associated with a lower risk of sports-related dental and orofacial injuries.
The ADA recommends wearing a properly fitted mouth guard during sporting and recreational activities where there is a significant risk of dental trauma.
2. They can help protect the lips and cheeks
An impact doesn't necessarily have to knock out a tooth to cause an injury. Your teeth themselves can cut the lips, cheeks and other soft tissues inside the mouth during a collision.
A mouth guard places a resilient material over the teeth, providing a buffer between the teeth and surrounding soft tissue.
3. They provide protection when accidents happen unexpectedly
Not every dental injury comes from a dramatic collision.
An elbow during basketball, a ball to the face, a fall while skating or an accidental impact during practice can all happen quickly. Wearing a mouth guard means protection is already in place when something you didn't anticipate happens.
4. A good fit makes protection easier to actually wear
A mouth guard can't provide much protection if an athlete constantly removes it because it's uncomfortable.
Fit and retention matter. The ADA notes that an ideal athletic mouth guard should be properly fitted and accurately adapted to the wearer's oral structures.
A well-fitting guard should stay securely in position without requiring constant clenching to hold it there. Comfort, retention and the ability to communicate during play can all influence whether an athlete consistently wears the guard.
Which Sports Should You Wear a Mouth Guard For?
Football, boxing and hockey may be the obvious examples, but mouth injuries aren't limited to traditional collision sports.
The ADA identifies numerous activities where mouth guard use may be appropriate, including:
- Basketball
- Baseball and softball
- Boxing and combat sports
- Football
- Hockey
- Lacrosse
- Martial arts
- Rugby
- Soccer
- Wrestling
- Gymnastics
- Skateboarding and inline skating
- Skiing
- Volleyball
- Weightlifting
The practical question isn't simply whether a sport is officially classified as a "contact sport." It's whether the activity creates a meaningful chance of an impact, fall or other injury involving the mouth.
Some athletic organizations also require mouth guards for particular sports, ages or circumstances, so athletes should follow the rules established by their league, school or governing organization.
Do Mouth Guards Prevent Concussions?
This is an important distinction, particularly because sports mouth guards have sometimes been marketed with claims about concussion prevention.
The primary established purpose of a sports mouth guard is protection against dental and orofacial injury.
Research examining mouth guards and concussion has produced mixed results. Some studies have reported an association between mouth guard use and lower concussion rates, while others have not found a significant protective effect. Reviews of the evidence have therefore been much more consistent about dental protection than concussion prevention.
For that reason, athletes should not rely on a mouth guard as a concussion-prevention device or as a substitute for appropriate helmets, rules, training, medical evaluation or other sport-specific safety measures.
Stock vs. Boil-and-Bite vs. Custom Sports Mouth Guards
Sports mouth guards generally fall into three categories.
Stock mouth guards
Stock guards come preformed and ready to wear. They're usually inexpensive, but because they aren't adapted to an individual's teeth, fit and retention can be limited.
Boil-and-bite mouth guards
These guards are softened in hot water and shaped around the teeth at home. They offer more personalization than a stock guard and can be a practical option for many athletes when fitted correctly.
Custom sports mouth guards
A custom mouth guard is fabricated from an impression or digital model of an individual's teeth. This allows the appliance to be closely adapted to that person's dental anatomy.
Custom guards can offer advantages in fit, retention and comfort. However, it's worth being precise about the evidence: while custom-made mouth guards have shown favorable clinical outcomes, current research does not justify claiming that every custom guard provides dramatically greater injury protection than every properly fitted non-custom guard.
For a deeper comparison, read our Boil-and-Bite vs. Custom Mouth Guard guide.
Does a Sports Mouth Guard Need to Be Thick?
Not necessarily—and more thickness isn't automatically better in every situation.
Mouth guard design involves balancing protection with fit, retention and comfort. The appropriate construction can also depend on the activity and expected level of impact.
Athletes in high-impact combat or collision sports may have different needs from someone using a mouth guard primarily for a lower-impact athletic activity.
We've covered this question separately in our guide to sports mouth guard thickness and choosing a thin vs. thick mouth guard.
Can You Wear a Sports Mouth Guard for Teeth Grinding?
A sports mouth guard and a night guard may look similar, but they're designed for different jobs.
Sports mouth guards are intended to help protect the mouth from athletic impacts. Dental night guards are designed for repeated tooth-to-tooth forces associated with grinding and clenching.
If you're trying to protect your teeth from bruxism rather than sports injuries, read Can You Use a Sports Mouth Guard for Teeth Grinding? before choosing an appliance.
What Makes a Good Sports Mouth Guard?
A good sports mouth guard isn't simply a piece of material between your teeth.
According to the ADA, an athletic mouth guard should be properly fitted, made from resilient material and provide appropriate coverage of the dental arch at risk. Retention is also important—the guard should stay where it belongs during activity.
From a practical standpoint, athletes should look for a mouth guard that:
- Fits securely and comfortably
- Stays in position during activity
- Provides appropriate coverage for the teeth
- Doesn't have sharp or irritating edges
- Is made from material intended for intraoral use
- Is inspected regularly for wear, damage or changes in fit
The best mouth guard is ultimately one that provides appropriate protection and is comfortable enough that you'll consistently wear it.
Custom Sports Mouth Guards from Sentinel
Sentinel Mouthguards has been making custom dental appliances in our Florida dental lab since 2012.
Our custom sports mouth guards are individually fabricated to fit the wearer's teeth rather than relying on a generic stock shape. You take an impression of your teeth at home—or provide a compatible digital dental scan—and our lab uses that dental model to fabricate your guard.
For athletes who prioritize a secure custom fit and want an alternative to having a sports mouth guard made through a traditional dental office, you can view Sentinel's custom sports mouth guard.
How Do You Take Care of a Sports Mouth Guard?
A mouth guard spends a lot of time in a warm, moist environment, so cleaning and storage matter.
Rinse your guard after use, clean it according to its care instructions, allow it to dry and store it in a clean, ventilated case. Avoid exposing it to excessive heat, which can distort some mouth guard materials and affect the fit.
Inspect the guard periodically for tears, thinning, rough edges, distortion or a change in retention. Growing athletes may need their fit checked more frequently as their teeth and jaws develop.
For step-by-step instructions, see How to Clean a Sports Mouth Guard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are sports mouth guards actually effective?
Yes. The evidence supporting mouth guards for reducing sports-related dental and orofacial injuries is well established. A systematic review and meta-analysis found substantially greater orofacial injury risk among athletes who did not wear mouth guards compared with those who did.
Do I need a mouth guard if my sport isn't considered a contact sport?
Possibly. Dental injuries can occur in activities that aren't traditionally classified as contact sports. Consider the likelihood of falls, fast-moving equipment, accidental collisions or impacts to the face rather than relying solely on the sport's label.
Should a sports mouth guard stay in without biting down?
Retention is an important characteristic of a properly fitted sports mouth guard. A guard that constantly falls out or requires continuous clenching to hold it in position may not be fitted appropriately.
Are custom mouth guards better than boil-and-bite guards?
Custom guards are individually adapted to the wearer's dental anatomy and can provide excellent fit, retention and comfort. Properly fitted boil-and-bite guards can also provide meaningful dental protection. The best option depends on factors including fit, comfort, sport, budget and whether the athlete will consistently wear the guard.
Can a mouth guard prevent a concussion?
Mouth guards should primarily be considered protection against dental and orofacial injury. Research on concussion prevention is mixed, and athletes should not rely on a mouth guard as a concussion-prevention device.
Can I wear the same mouth guard for sports and nighttime teeth grinding?
It's generally better to use an appliance designed for its intended purpose. Sports mouth guards are designed for athletic impact, while night guards are designed to protect against forces associated with grinding and clenching.
The Bottom Line
Sports can be unpredictable. A collision, fall, elbow or ball to the face can happen in seconds, while the consequences of a damaged permanent tooth can last much longer.
A properly fitted sports mouth guard is one of the simplest ways to help reduce the risk and severity of dental and orofacial injuries during activities where the mouth may be exposed to impact.
Choose a guard that fits securely, is appropriate for your activity and is comfortable enough that you'll actually wear it—during games and practice.
Sources
- American Dental Association. Athletic Mouth Protectors (Mouthguards). Updated August 2026.
- Knapik JJ, Hoedebecke BL, Rogers GG, Sharp MA, Marshall SW. Effectiveness of Mouthguards for the Prevention of Orofacial Injuries and Concussions in Sports: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine. 2019;49(8):1217–1232.
- Agarwal A, et al. Impact of mouthguards on the prevention of dentofacial injuries and sports performance among athletes: An umbrella review. Journal of Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry. 2025;43(2):163–172.
- Custom-Made Versus Non-Custom Mouthguards in the Prevention of Sports-Related Oro-Dento-Facial Trauma: A Scoping Review of the Clinical Evidence. 2026.
Editor's note: This article was substantially updated in September 2026 to reflect current evidence on sports-related dental injury prevention, clarify what mouth guards can and cannot be expected to protect against, remove outdated concussion-prevention claims, and provide clearer guidance on mouth guard fit and selection.
This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized dental or medical advice. Athletes should follow the safety requirements of their sport or governing organization and consult a dentist or qualified healthcare professional with questions about dental injuries, mouth guard fit or sports participation after an injury.