Mouthguards
Explore our custom Mouthguard services for optimal protection and comfort.
Protect your smile with a custom fit mouthguard
Wearing a mouthguard while playing sports is important to prevent dental and jaw related injuries. When a mouthguard is worn (and fits properly), it helps provide protection for the hard (teeth and jaw) and soft (lips, cheeks, gums) tissues of the mouth by absorbing and redistributing the forces generated by traumatic blows.
We strongly recommend a custom-made mouthguard when playing any type of sport where contact is involved. Custom mouthguards are regarded as the most protective and comfortable type of guard. Therefore, the athlete is more likely to wear their mouthguard. Custom mouthguards only fit the athlete it was made for and the athlete is still able to speak quite clearly.
Boil and bite mouthguards are not recommended as they do not fit properly, move around and the athlete must clench their teeth together to keep it in. protection is minimal. Often you will see athletes with the mouthguard half in and half out of their mouths.
For the following sports, it is imperative a custom made mouthguard is worn for maximum protection; football, boxing, hockey, lacrosse, rugby, basketball, water polo, martial arts and wrestling. Also athletes in sports such as; skateboarding, baseball, racquetball, volleyball, tennis, gymnastics and skiing as they are equally at risk of injury and a mouthguard is recommended.
Many sport organisations, clubs and schools have made it compulsory for athletes to use mouthguards, ensuring that they are protected against injury at all times.
Injury reduction and prevention
There are two types of impact to the mouth:
Direct – This is a direct frontal blow to the upper jaw which, if unprotected, may result in damage to or loss of teeth and the possibility of concussion.
Indirect – This is a more common blow to the lower jaw. The lower teeth are pushed upwards, bringing then into contact with the upper teeth. Significant damage can be caused to the other teeth and to the jaw.
Custom-made mouthguards v Boil & Bite Mouthguards
To reduce or prevent damage from a direct or indirect blow during sports activity, custom made mouthguards are an essential part of an athlete’s kit.
Boil and bite mouthguards are a popular choice of mouthguard as they are inexpensive however there are concerns to be wary of during the moulding process. If the mouthguard is bitten down on too hard while it is moulding to the shape of the teeth, the plastic can become too thin and will either not properly protect teeth upon impact or may break. This is quite common when the mouthguard is fitted by the wearer themselves and not by a dental professional.
Why should you choose a custom-made mouthguard over a boil and bite?
- They fit better as they are made from an accurate impression of your mouth
- The dental professional will take into consideration the wearer’s age, erupting teeth and braces
- They can be up to 2.5mm thicker, acting as a shock absorber and spreading the impact after a blow
- Breathing is not affected
- Will not move during activity
- Speech will be less impaired
- Recommended by the British Dental Health Foundation
Check out the FAQs for further information.
Mouthguard FAQ's
The British Dental Health strongly recommend dental impressions be taken of your teeth. From that mould of your teeth a professional individually designed mouthguard can be manufactured to give you the best chance of your teeth and bones surviving a big hit or a wayward ball or stick. A boil and bite mouthguard is not recommended , it is false economy buying a cheap over the counter product. It is difficult to fit with a risk of burning your mouth, they can make you gag and it is uncomfortable to wear by not staying in place making it almost impossible to talk and breathe. Players have been known to choke during sport after swallowing this type of product and, as they do not fit well, the teeth that they touch are more prevalent to be knocked out upon impact. You can breathe, talk and perform at your best with a custom-made mouthguard.
It is no problem. Our technicians check each impression that gets sent to the laboratory and loose or missing teeth are ‘blocked-out’ on the stone models to allow for optimum fit. 4D Ceramix handcraft custom mouthguards for whatever you have going on in your mouth. Once they are fully in you’ll likely need a new guard as your mouth has changed significantly. If you are an adult, we will craft your mouthguard to fit your teeth perfectly, even with the open space.
Not at all! 4D Ceramix handcraft custom mouthguards for whatever you have going on in your mouth. In fact, we craft the only mouthguard that will fit you perfectly. Why? Because we start with a exact impression of your teeth and this gives us an exact representation of your mouth. From that impression, we pour a model and craft your guard to only you, perfectly!
Absolutely. The only difference is that the traditional method of taking impressions is not suitable for those with braces so a digital impression will be taken using an intra oral scanner. The lab technicians will then produce a digital dental model using this data. The mouthguard is then formed using the digital model to fit over the braces. There will be sufficient space for the treating orthodontist to move the teeth during the orthodontic treatment, without compromising the fit of the mouthguard. A new mouthguard will ned to be made once the braces have been removed.
Chewing the mouthguard is not allowed! All mouthguards should last at least one season, but regular checks for tears, distortion or bite-through should be done. Factors such as primary tooth loss, growth and frequency of use will affect the fit and life span of the mouthguard. In children up to approximately 13 years, mouthguards will need replacing each year. Our mouthguards are custom fitted and in children of this age, the shape of the mouth changes quite appreciably each year. The mouthguard will therefore not fit as precise the next season. In players of 14 years and older, the mouthguard should last a couple of seasons depending on wear rate.
At what age would a child need to start wearing a mouthguard?
As soon as the upper permanent incisor teeth have erupted, the child is old enough for a mouthguard.
After use wash your mouthguard in cold water and when you get home use your toothbrush to gently scrub it with water to remove the saliva and any food debris. Do not use toothpaste or solvents which can abrade and hot water or heat which will distort the shape of the mouthguard. A quick rinse in a non-alcoholic mouthwash will help improve the taste and smell of your mouthguard. Store your mouthguard in its case which we provide free of charge with each custom-made mouthguard.
Your dental models are kept for 12 months so we can remake the mouthguard quickly at a reduced cost without having to retake the dental impression.
