Mouthguard use in sport

Position Summary
Recreational and work environments should be designed to minimise oral and facial injury. There should be public education programs, social marketing, and community action to promote awareness of potential oral injuries and protocols such as the use of mouthguards to reduce these risks. Dentists should refer to the International Association of Dental Traumatology "Guidelines for the management of traumatic dental injuries: https://iadt-dentaltrauma.org/guidelines-and-resources/guidelines/
Last updated April 3, 2024.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recognises the prevalence of sports-related orofacial injuries in our nation’s youth and the need for prevention. This policy is intended to educate dental professionals, health care providers, and educational and athletic personnel on the prevention of sports-related orofacial injuries.
Last revision: 2023

Revised March 2024, Approved by the AAE BOD April 2024.

Covers: basic requirements for protection and effective wearing, and types of mouthguards: stock, self-adapting, custom-made
Last revised 29 August 2023.

Relevant topics covered: Definition of sprots dentistry, a properly fitted mouthguard, the use of mouthguards and other oral appliances for the prevention of concussion and enhancement of strength and performance, mouthguard mandates.
Approved June-July 2024

Covers: protective effect of sports mouthguards, types and characteristics of sports mouthguards, and health education and guidance for wearing sports mouthguards

Covers: burden of orofacial trauma in sport, recommendations for sports mouthguard use, implementing use of sports mouthguards, specific considerations for adolescent and youth adults, mouthguard care and maintenance advice

A mouthguard is one of the best protection measures against oral trauma in sports. This policy statement outlines the basic principles of mouthguard design and use with a view to optimising protection.

Provides a summary of mouthguard types and their advantages/disadvantages and criterial for ideal mouthguard fabrication.

Wojda, M., & Wielgosz, A. (2024, June 5). Dental injuries in sports: Analysis, prevention, and protection. Quality in Sport, 20, 53986. https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2024.20.53986

Budak, L., & Levin, L. (2024, August). Enhancing treatment outcomes in dental traumatology—dental trauma first aid and the implementation of mouthguards. Dental Traumatology, 40(4), 353-356. https://doi.org/10.1111/edt.12978

Ahmed, I., & Fine, P. (2021). ‘Injury prevention versus performance’: Has the time come to mandate the use of mouthguards in all contact sports?. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 7(1), e000828. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2020-000828

Wang, K., Liu, Y., Zhao, Z., Zhou, S., & Zhang, M. (2025, January 28). Mouthguard types, properties and influence on performance in sport activities: A narrative review. Frontiers in Medicine, 12, 1527621. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2025.1527621

Budak, L., & Levin, L. (2024, June). Prevention of orofacial trauma in sports and beyond—What can be done further?. Dental Traumatology, 40(3), 239-242. https://doi.org/10.1111/edt.12966

Mark, A.M. (2024, March). Protect your smile with a mouthguard. The Journal of the American Dental Association, 155(3), 270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2023.11.010

Gutierrez, X. J. (2023). Sports dentistry: Mouthguard research no longer limited to trauma prevention. Journal of the California Dental Association, 51(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/19424396.2023.2176581

Dal Piva, A.M.O., Tribst, J.P.M., Borges, A.L.S., Kleverlaan, C.J., & Feilzer, A.J. (2023, June). The ability of mouthguards to protect veneered teeth: A 3D finite element analysis. Dental Traumatology, 39(3), 191-199. https://doi.org/10.1111/edt.12812Liang

Rusiecka, A., Górniak, A., Widawski, M., Sobczyk, A., Kubas, A., Gizińska, N., & Lewandowska, P. (2025, June). The Improving Injury Prevention in Sports in the Jaw and Maxillary Area: A Comprehensive Overview of Mouthguards and Their Effectiveness. Quality in Sport, 42, 60511. https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2025.42.60511

Singarapu R, Panneerselvam E, Balasubramaniam S, Nakkeeran KP, Ramanathan M, Raja KBV. (2023, May). The Role of mouthguards in preventing Temporomandibular Joint injuries during contact sports: A prospective study. Frontiers in Dentistry, 20. https://doi:10.18502/fid.v20i12.12661.

Abbott, P.V., Tewari, N., Mills, S.C., Stasiuk, H., Roettger, M., O'Connell, A.C., & Levin, L. (2024, February). The International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) and the Academy for Sports Dentistry (ASD) guidelines for prevention of traumatic dental injuries: Part 4: Faceshields for the prevention of dental and oral trauma. Dental traumatology : Official publication of International Association for Dental Traumatology, 40 Suppl 1, 10-11. https://doi.org/10.1111/edt.12926

Jar AB, Althogbi SR, Algamdi MM, Abubaker MA, Alzamanan AI, Al Awad BD, Alqahtani MM, Asiri AA, Alfard YS, Alazraqi MW. The role of sports and protective gear in preventing dental trauma. Journal of Health Sciences, 3(12), 728-734. https://doi.org/10.52533/JOHS.2023.31225.

Kolstad, A.T., Eliason, P.H., Galarneau, J., Black, A.M., Hagel, B.E., & Emery, C.A. (2023, May). Protective equipment in youth ice hockey: Are mouthguards and helmet age relevant to concussion risk?. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57(10), 571-577. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-105585

Tay, J. (2025, March), Do headgear and mouthguards protect kickboxers?. British Dental Journal 238(5), 331. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-025-8519-4

Patel, K. & Moore, R. (2025, February). Incidence of maxillofacial trauma related to kickboxing and the efficacy of protective equipment. British Dental Journal, 238(3), 178–182. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-024-7938-y

These Guidelines have been developed as an alternative to a standard and represent a consensus on state-of-the-art procedures for sports mouthguard fabrication, use and maintenance.
Australian Dental Association, 5th edition, 2022.

This document from the European Association for Sports Dentistry (EA4SD) outlines the latest guidelines for selecting, constructing, clinical use, and maintaining custom-made sports mouthguards (CMS).

Nasrollahzadeh, N., Broome, M., & Pioletti, D.P. (2025, February). A new approach to the design and fabrication of customized multi-material mouthguards to maximize athletes' safety and comfort. Journal of Manufacturing Processes, 136, 282-290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2025.01.042

de Bragança, G.F., de Souza, I.F., Soares, P.B.F., & Soares, C.J. (2023, August). Biomechanical effects of a hard insert and air space in mouthguards on the shock absorption and protection against fractures of direct resin composite veneers from trauma. Dental Traumatology, 39(4), 314-323. https://doi.org/10.1111/edt.12842

Dogan, O., Sonmez, H., & Dogan, S.S.A. (2024, June). Comfort and wearability properties of custom-made and boil-and-bite mouthguards among basketball players: A randomized parallel arm clinical trial. Dental Traumatology, 40(3), 251-265. https://doi.org/10.1111/edt.12918

Arfi, Y., Benoit, A., Tapie, L., Sandoz, B., Persohn, S., Attal, J.P., & Rignon-Bret, C. (2024, December). Comparison of shock absorption capacities of three types of mouthguards: A comparative in vitro study. Dental Traumatology, 40(6), 702-711. https://doi.org/10.1111/edt.12968

Kurian, N., Cherian, J., Varghese, K. et al. (2025). Custom mouthguards in sports. British Dental Journal, 238(8), 608. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-025-8669-4

Nasrollahzadeh, N., Pioletti, D.P. & Broome, M. (2024, May). Design of customized mouthguards with superior protection using digital-based technologies and impact tests. Sports Medicine – Open, 10(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-024-00728-2

Wang, B, & Wang, X. (2024, December 2). Development status of mouthguard. Frontiers in Dental Medicine, 2024, 5, 1513223. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdmed.2024.1513223

Ntovas, P., Ladia, O., Kois, J.C., Rahiotis, C., & Revilla-León, M. (2024, August 21). Digital workflow for the fabrication of custom-fit additively manufactured sports mouthguards with balanced occlusion using an optical jaw tracking system: A dental technique. The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Article in Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prosdent.2024.07.02

Rondón, A.K.A., Lozada, M.I.T., Soares, P.B.F., Raposo, L.H.A., & Soares, C.J. (2023, November 23). Effect of different materials for conventional and 3D-printed models on the mechanical properties of ethylene-vinyl acetate utilized for fabricating custom-fit mouthguards. Dental Traumatology, 40(3), 281-288. https://doi.org/10.1111/edt.12912

Hada, T., Komagamine, Y., Kanazawa, M., & Minakuchi, S. (2024, January 16). Fabrication of sports mouthguards using a semi-digital workflow with 4D-printing technology. Journal of prosthodontic research, 68(1), 181-185. https://doi.org/10.2186/jpr.JPR_D_22_00274

Reis, P.N.B., Messias, A., Ramos, J.C., Neto, M.A., Amaro, A. (2023). Impact response of materials for use in mouthguards. In: Proceedings of the 10th Congress of the Portuguese Society of Biomechanics. CNB 2023. Lecture Notes in Bioengineering, pp. 49-58. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-47790-4_5

de Queiroz, T.S., Tribst, J.P.M., Haddad e Borro, L., da Rocha Scalzer Lopes, G., Borges, A.L.S., & de Arruda Paes Junior, T.J. (2025, March 27). Reinforcement positioning in custom‐made mouthguards for maxillofacial trauma protection: A combined in vitro and in silico analyses. Dental Traumatology (early view). https://doi.org/10.1111/edt.13060

Roberts, H.W. (2023, April). Sports mouthguard overview: Materials, fabrication techniques, existing standards, and future research needs. Dental Traumatology, 39(2), 101-108. https://doi.org/10.1111/edt.12809

de Queiroz, T., Tribst, J., Borro, L., Borges, A., & Paes-Junior, T. (2025). Thermal aging effect on impact absorption in nylon-mesh reinforced mouthguards. Dental Materials, 41, e94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dental.2025.03.225

Dias Gonçalves, V.P., Fontes Vieira, C.M., & Colorado Lopera, H.A. (2024, July 30). The production and materials of mouthguards: Conventional vs additive manufacturing - A systematic review. Heliyon, 10(14), e34294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34294

A three part series presented by Dr Brett Dorney
*Part 1: Impression technique for mouthguard construction. May 2014, 5m 57s
*Part 2: Design and construction. May 2013, 22m 58s
*Part 3: Constructing pressure laminated coloured mouthguards. April 2014, 16m 32s