Whether your child is suiting up for youth soccer or you’re lacing up for an adult recreational league, there’s one piece of protective gear that often gets overlooked: the mouthguard. Helmets, shin guards, and knee pads tend to get all the attention, but your teeth, jaw, and soft tissues are just as vulnerable during athletic activity. A mouthguard is one of the simplest, most affordable ways to protect one of your most important assets: your smile.

The Risks of Tooth Damage from Sports

Dental injuries are among the most common sports-related injuries across all age groups. A collision, fall, or stray elbow can chip, crack, or knock out a tooth in an instant, and the consequences go well beyond the cosmetic. A knocked-out permanent tooth requires immediate emergency care and, even with prompt treatment, may not be fully salvageable. Chipped or fractured teeth often need crowns, veneers, or bonding to restore. Injuries to the lips, tongue, and inner cheeks from contact with unprotected teeth can be painful and slow to heal.

The American Dental Association estimates that mouthguards prevent hundreds of thousands of oral injuries every year. That’s a compelling statistic for any athlete or sports parent.

Which Sports Require a Mouthguard?

Most people associate mouthguards with contact sports like football, hockey, and boxing, and those are absolutely sports where mouthguards are a priority. But dental injuries happen across a wider range of sports than most people expect, including:

• Basketball and soccer, where collisions are common
• Baseball and softball, where a ball or bat to the face can cause serious damage
• Martial arts and wrestling, which involve direct physical contact
• Skateboarding, cycling, and gymnastics, where falls are a regular occurrence
• Volleyball and lacrosse, which also carry contact risk

If there’s any possibility of impact to the face, a mouthguard should be part of your everyday gear.

Store-Bought vs. Custom-Fitted: What’s the Difference?

Boil-and-bite mouthguards from a sporting goods store offer basic protection and are far better than nothing. However, they tend to be bulky, uncomfortable, and difficult to keep in place, which that means athletes, especially kids, are more likely to take them out during play.

A custom-fitted mouthguard made by Dr. Passamano is fabricated from a precise impression of your teeth, creating a snug, comfortable fit that stays in place and allows for easy breathing and communication. Athletes who wear custom guards are more likely to keep them in, which is the whole point.

Protect Your Smile Before Something Happens

Dental injuries are largely preventable with the right protection in place. At My Dentist Joe, we make it easy and affordable to get a custom mouthguard for athletes of all ages and skill levels. Call our Irvine office to get fitted today. It’s a small investment that can save you from a very big headache.