Wearing a mouthguard during high-impact sports such as boxing, hockey, football and soccer helps reduce the risk of injury to the jaw and to the soft and hard tissues of the mouth, including the teeth, tongue, cheeks and lips.

Anyone who participates in these sports should help prevent injuries by wearing a mouthguard. Accidents can happen quickly.

Two types of mouthguards

There are prefabricated mouthguards and custom mouthguards made by a dentist or dental hygienist. A good mouthguard should fit properly and remain stable.

To make a custom mouthguard, the dental hygienist first takes impressions that accurately reproduce the client’s mouth. The mouthguard can then be made in a variety of colours.