Do I need a sports mouthguard, and which type is better?
Anyone playing a sport with contact, falls, sticks, balls or flying equipment benefits from a mouthguard, children included. Stock guards are cheap but loose; boil-and-bite guards fit better; a custom-made guard, formed on a model of your teeth, usually fits most closely and is easiest to breathe and talk with. In Dubai, Creative Arts can check teeth and braces and advise which type suits you before the season starts.
Who treats you here Dr. Valeriia Kozachenko Specialist Orthodontist · Dr. Marina Antoniuk Dentist
Every dentist’s licence can be checked on the DHA Sheryan medical directory.
What does a sports mouthguard actually protect?
A mouthguard is a soft but resilient cover worn over the upper teeth during sport. When a ball, elbow, stick or the ground hits the face, it spreads the force across the whole arch instead of letting it land on one or two front teeth, and it cushions the lips and cheeks so they are not cut against the teeth. It also stops the lower teeth from slamming into the upper ones when the jaw is hit from below.
The injuries it helps prevent are the ones dentists see most after sport: chipped and fractured front teeth, teeth pushed out of position, knocked-out teeth, and split lips. Upper front teeth that stick out are hit more often, which is why children with prominent teeth, and anyone with braces, gain the most.
A mouthguard is designed for teeth and soft tissues. It should not be thought of as protection against concussion; a head injury needs the sport's own head-injury rules and a medical check. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry supports properly fitted mouthguards in organised sports that carry a risk of mouth and face injury, and asks dentists to prescribe, make or refer for them when a child is at increased risk.
Which sports need a mouthguard?
A practical guide by risk. School and club rules vary, so check your child's team requirements as well.
| Risk level | Typical sports in Dubai | Mouthguard advice |
|---|---|---|
| High: contact or sticks | Rugby, hockey (field and ice), boxing, MMA, karate, taekwondo, wrestling, lacrosse | Wear one at every training session and match, not only in competition |
| Moderate: collisions and falls | Football, basketball, handball, netball, padel and squash at close range | Strongly advised, especially for children and anyone with braces or prominent front teeth |
| Moderate: speed and hard surfaces | Skateboarding, BMX, scooters, horse riding, skiing | Advised alongside a helmet; falls onto the face are common |
| Lower: little contact | Running, swimming, tennis from the baseline, cycling on the road | Usually optional; consider one if you have had a dental injury before |
Cricket and baseball batting need a helmet with a face guard; a mouthguard adds protection but does not replace it.
Custom vs boil-and-bite mouthguard: what is the difference?
There are three broad types, and the difference is fit. A guard that is loose, bulky or makes breathing hard gets taken out on the pitch, and a guard in a pocket protects nothing.
Stock, boil-and-bite or custom-made mouthguard compared
General characteristics. Which one suits you depends on your teeth, any braces or restorations, and the sport.
| Stock (ready-made) | Boil-and-bite | Custom-made | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it is made | Pre-formed in standard sizes | Softened in hot water, then bitten into to shape it | Formed on a model of your teeth from a dental scan or impression |
| Fit | Loose; held by clenching | Reasonable if moulded carefully; can be uneven | Close fit that stays in place without biting down |
| Breathing and speech | Often difficult | Better, but bulk varies | Usually easiest, because thickness is planned |
| Protection | Limited if it moves | Moderate when fitted well | Thickness can be planned for the sport |
| With braces | Sometimes used short-term | Not usually recommended unless your orthodontist agrees, because teeth keep moving | Possible, but needs remaking as teeth move; ask your orthodontist |
| Where to get it | Sports shops and pharmacies | Sports shops and pharmacies | Through a dentist |
Whatever the type, a mouthguard should cover the upper teeth up to the back molars, stay put when the mouth opens, and let you talk and breathe.
Can you wear a sports mouthguard with braces?
Yes, and with braces it matters more, because a blow to the lips presses them against metal brackets. Two points are different from wearing a guard without braces:
- Teeth are moving. A guard moulded tightly around the teeth and brackets can press on teeth that are meant to move, and stop fitting within weeks. Orthodontic mouthguards are designed with room over the brackets, and a custom guard may need remaking during treatment.
- Brackets can break. Biting hard into a boil-and-bite guard while it sets can dislodge brackets.
Ask your orthodontist before buying one. At Creative Arts, our specialist orthodontists, Dr. Muhannad Kazzaz and Dr. Valeriia Kozachenko, can advise on the type that will work with your appliance. If a bracket or wire is damaged during a game, our page on braces emergencies explains what to do. Clear aligners and removable retainers are not mouthguards: take them out for contact sport and keep them in their case, as our guide on looking after a retainer explains.
Mouthguards for children: fit, growth and replacement
Children's mouths change quickly. Between about six and twelve, baby teeth fall out and adult teeth arrive, so a guard that fitted in September may be loose or tight by the end of the season. As a rule of thumb, check the fit at the start of every season and after any tooth is lost or comes through, and replace the guard when:
- it no longer clicks into place or falls down when your child opens their mouth;
- it has holes, tears or sharp edges from chewing;
- it has been bent out of shape by heat;
- your child complains that it hurts or makes them gag.
Children who chew their guard between plays wear it thin, so look at it regularly. If your child has a dental injury despite a guard, see our guide to a child's knocked or broken tooth.
Dubai heat and your mouthguard
Mouthguards are made from thermoplastic that softens with heat. A guard left in a parked car or a kit bag in the sun can warp and stop fitting. Keep it in a ventilated case, out of direct sun, and never rinse it in hot water.
Night guard, sports mouthguard or retainer: which is which?
They look alike but do different jobs. A night guard is thin and hard, made to protect teeth from grinding while you sleep; it is too thin to absorb a blow and is not a sports guard. A sports mouthguard is thicker and more cushioning, and is not designed to be slept in. A retainer holds teeth in place after orthodontic treatment and offers no impact protection. If you grind at night and play contact sport, you need two different appliances. Our page on custom night guards covers the grinding side.
How should you clean and store a mouthguard?
- Rinse it in cool water straight after use, and brush it gently with a soft brush and mild soap; toothpaste scratches the surface.
- Let it dry, then keep it in a ventilated case.
- Do not share mouthguards.
- Bring it to dental check-ups, so the fit and wear can be looked at.
What to do if a tooth is knocked out or broken during sport
Speed matters most with a knocked-out adult tooth. Pick it up by the crown, not the root, rinse it briefly in milk or saline if it is dirty, and try to put it back in the socket or keep it in milk, then get dental help straight away. A knocked-out baby tooth should not be put back. Our page on a knocked-out tooth gives the full first-aid steps, and a fragment of a chipped or broken tooth is worth keeping, because it can sometimes be bonded back on.
The clinic is open daily from 10:00 to 20:00. A blow to the head with confusion, vomiting or loss of consciousness, a suspected broken jaw (see facial injuries), heavy bleeding that does not stop, or difficulty breathing or swallowing needs a hospital emergency department first.
Starting a new season or a contact sport? A general dental check at Creative Arts in Dubai looks at your teeth, restorations or braces and gives you clear advice on protection.
General dentistryCan you get a custom sports mouthguard at Creative Arts?
Creative Arts provides custom night guards for teeth grinding and orthodontic care with specialist orthodontists. Custom sports mouthguards are a different appliance: whether one is suitable for you or your child, and whether it is made here or arranged by referral, is decided at an assessment. Either way, the check before the season is useful on its own, because it picks up loose fillings, decay or prominent front teeth that change the advice. Dr. Marina Antoniuk can also assess and repair teeth damaged in sport.