Custom Sports Mouthguards
Custom sports mouthguards are designed for a secure, comfortable fit and help reduce the incidence and severity of injuries to the teeth and oral tissues during athletic and recreational activities.
At a glance
A quick overview before exploring the treatment in greater detail.
Custom-made for secure retention and comfort
Helps reduce the risk and severity of dental injuries
Designed around age, sport, bite, and existing dental work
Understanding custom sports mouthguards
Dental injuries can occur during organized sports, recreational activities, and training. The risk is especially important in collision and contact sports, but falls, fast-moving equipment, and accidental contact can also injure teeth during activities such as basketball, baseball, gymnastics, skating, cycling, and martial arts.
A properly fitted athletic mouthguard provides a resilient barrier over the teeth and can help reduce injuries to the teeth, lips, and cheeks. A custom guard is fabricated from a detailed record of your mouth so it can remain secure without constant clenching while supporting comfortable breathing and communication.
At Prestwicke Dental, we consider the athlete’s age, dental development, sport, position, competition level, orthodontic treatment, and existing dental work before selecting a design. No mouthguard can prevent every injury, but wearing the right guard consistently during practices and games provides meaningful protection.
Why patients consider this treatment
Potential benefits depend on your diagnosis, treatment goals, and individual oral health.
Helps reduce the incidence and severity of sports-related dental injuries
Cushions teeth and may reduce injuries to the lips and cheeks
Custom fit supports secure retention without constant clenching
Designed for the athlete’s sport, bite, age, and dental development
Can accommodate many crowns, veneers, fillings, and other restorations
Professional materials selected for resilience and impact absorption
What to expect
A clear process helps you understand each stage of care.
Athletic and Dental Evaluation
We review the sport, position, age, dental development, orthodontic treatment, bite, and existing dental work.
Digital Scan or Impression
A detailed record of the teeth and surrounding structures is taken to create an accurately adapted fit.
Custom Fabrication
The mouthguard is fabricated with a design and resilient material selected for the athlete’s needs.
Fit and Safety Review
We verify retention, comfort, coverage, and bite, then review use, cleaning, storage, inspection, and replacement.
How we approach custom sports mouthguards
Treatment recommendations depend on the diagnosis and condition of the affected teeth and tissues.
Sports mouthguards are different from appliances made for nighttime grinding. An athletic guard is designed to absorb and distribute impact during activity, so a night guard should not be substituted for a sports mouthguard.
Custom guards are commonly made for the upper arch, but the appropriate coverage, material, and thickness depend on the athlete’s mouth and activity. The guard should stay in place securely, cover the intended teeth, feel comfortable, and allow practical breathing and speaking.
Athletes with braces need a mouthguard that covers the orthodontic appliances and allows for tooth movement. Coordinate with the treating orthodontist because the fit may need to be adjusted or replaced as treatment progresses. Clear aligners are generally removed for contact play and replaced with an appropriate athletic guard.
Children and teenagers may need more frequent replacement as permanent teeth erupt and the jaws grow. Adults also need a new guard if dental treatment changes the bite or if the appliance becomes loose, distorted, torn, or excessively worn.
Rinse the mouthguard after every use and clean it with cool or lukewarm water, a soft brush, and mild soap. Let it dry before storing it in a rigid, ventilated case. Avoid hot water, dishwashers, harsh chemicals, and chewing on the guard, and bring it to dental visits for inspection.
Mouthguards help prevent dental and oral injuries, but they should not be promoted as concussion-prevention devices. Appropriate helmets, face protection, sport rules, training, and concussion protocols remain essential.
Is this treatment right for you?
A properly fitted sports mouthguard should be considered for activities with a meaningful risk of contact, collision, falls, or impact to the face—even when a league does not require one.
You participate in football, hockey, lacrosse, basketball, soccer, wrestling, boxing, or martial arts.
You participate in baseball, softball, gymnastics, skating, cycling, equestrian activities, or another sport with fall or impact risk.
You have braces, aligners, retainers, crowns, veneers, implants, or extensive dental work.
Your stock or boil-and-bite guard feels loose, bulky, uncomfortable, or difficult to keep in place.
Your child’s teeth and bite are changing and an existing mouthguard no longer fits correctly.
What results may look like
A well-fitted custom mouthguard should remain comfortably and securely in place while providing resilient coverage for the teeth at greatest risk. Protection depends on wearing it consistently during both practices and competition and replacing it when growth, dental treatment, wear, or damage changes the fit.
Individual outcomes vary based on oral health, diagnosis, treatment selection, healing, habits, and maintenance.
Care centered on clarity, comfort, and long-term health
Every treatment plan is personalized around the patient rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Personalized Care
Recommendations are based on your oral health, concerns, comfort, and long-term goals.
Clear Treatment Planning
We explain findings, alternatives, expected steps, and estimated costs whenever possible.
Modern Dentistry
Digital technology supports accurate diagnosis, communication, and treatment planning.
Common questions about custom sports mouthguards
These answers provide general information. Your visit will address your specific oral health and treatment needs.
Who should wear a sports mouthguard?
Athletes in contact and collision sports should wear a properly fitted mouthguard. Protection also may be appropriate for recreational, limited-contact, high-velocity, or fall-risk activities in which the teeth or face could be injured.
Is a custom mouthguard better than a store-bought guard?
The most important factor is a mouthguard that fits properly and is worn consistently. A custom guard is fabricated from a record of your mouth, which allows the dentist to evaluate coverage, retention, comfort, bite, and the needs of existing dental work.
Can athletes with braces wear a custom mouthguard?
Yes, but the design must protect the teeth and soft tissues while allowing room for orthodontic appliances and tooth movement. The athlete’s dentist and orthodontist should coordinate the appropriate type and replacement timing.
Can a sports mouthguard prevent a concussion?
Mouthguards are supported for reducing dental and oral injuries, but they should not be relied upon to prevent concussions. Athletes still need appropriate helmets or face protection when indicated and must follow their sport’s concussion protocols.
How long does a custom sports mouthguard last?
Service life depends on growth, tooth movement, dental treatment, frequency of use, chewing, wear, and damage. Replace the guard if it becomes loose, uncomfortable, distorted, torn, or unable to provide proper coverage.
How should I clean and store my mouthguard?
Rinse it after use and clean it with cool or lukewarm water, a soft brush, and mild soap. Allow it to dry and store it in a rigid, ventilated case. Avoid hot water, dishwashers, and harsh cleaners that can damage or distort the material.
Should a mouthguard be worn during practice as well as games?
Yes. Dental injuries can occur during drills, scrimmages, warmups, and informal play, so the guard should be worn whenever the activity presents a meaningful injury risk.
What should I do if a tooth is injured during sports?
Stop participation and obtain prompt dental evaluation. Call Prestwicke Dental as soon as possible for a chipped, displaced, loose, or knocked-out tooth, uncontrolled bleeding, significant pain, or a mouthguard impact that damages dental work. Seek emergency medical care for serious facial injury, loss of consciousness, breathing difficulty, or suspected concussion.
Explore related dental care
Depending on your needs, this service may be considered alongside other treatments.
Custom sports mouthguards in Algonquin, Illinois
Prestwicke Dental provides custom sports mouthguards for children, teens, and adult athletes from Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, Crystal Lake, Huntley, Cary, Carpentersville, and nearby communities.
Protect your smile before the next game
Request an appointment for a custom sports mouthguard evaluation, or call Prestwicke Dental to speak with our team.