Every season, kids and adults across Santa Clarita lace up for soccer, basketball, baseball, martial arts, and skateboarding. Most families remember helmets and shin guards — but the piece of protective gear dentists care about most is the one that’s easiest to forget: the sports mouthguard. Dental injuries are among the most common facial injuries in sports, and the overwhelming majority are preventable with a properly fitted mouthguard.
Why Mouthguards Matter
Research on athletes in contact and collision sports has found that players who don’t wear a mouthguard are roughly twice as likely — and in some studies far more likely — to suffer a dental or facial injury than players who do. The most common injuries are chipped or fractured teeth and, more seriously, teeth knocked completely out (what dentists call avulsion). A single knocked-out front tooth can mean years of follow-up care, so a small investment in prevention goes a long way.
Mouthguards work by cushioning blows to the face, spreading impact forces across more teeth, and keeping the upper teeth from slamming into the lower teeth or cutting the lips and tongue.
Which Sports Call for a Mouthguard?
Mouthguards aren’t just for football and hockey. The American Dental Association encourages mouthguard use in any activity with a risk of falls, collisions, or contact with equipment, including:
- Basketball and soccer — two of the most common sources of dental injuries in young athletes
- Baseball and softball, especially for infielders and batters
- Martial arts, boxing, and wrestling
- Skateboarding, scootering, mountain biking, and inline skating
- Gymnastics, volleyball, and water polo
The Three Types of Mouthguards
Stock mouthguards come pre-formed and ready to wear. They’re inexpensive but fit loosely, can make breathing and talking harder, and offer the least protection.
Boil-and-bite mouthguards, sold at most sporting goods stores, are softened in hot water and molded to the teeth. They fit better than stock guards and are a reasonable budget option for growing kids whose mouths are changing quickly.
Custom-fitted mouthguards are made by your dentist from an impression or digital scan of your teeth. They offer the best combination of fit, comfort, and protection — and because they’re comfortable, athletes actually keep them in. If your child wears braces or has had dental work like crowns, a custom guard is especially important.
One note: a sports mouthguard is not the same as a nightguard for clenching and grinding. If someone in your family grinds their teeth, read our guide to teeth grinding and how to protect your smile.
Caring for a Mouthguard
Rinse it with cool water or mouthwash after each use, brush it gently with a toothbrush, store it in a ventilated case, and keep it away from heat, which can warp the fit. Bring it to dental checkups so we can confirm it still fits — this matters most for kids, whose mouths change as adult teeth come in.
What to Do if a Tooth Gets Knocked Out
Even with precautions, accidents happen. If a permanent tooth is knocked out, minutes matter. Pick the tooth up by the crown (the white part), not the root. If it’s dirty, rinse it briefly with milk or saline — don’t scrub it. If possible, gently place it back in its socket and have the person bite on a clean cloth to hold it there. If that’s not possible, store it in cold milk — not water — and get to a dentist immediately, ideally within 30 minutes. For baby teeth, don’t replant the tooth; call us right away instead.
How We Can Help
At Fridman Family Dental Care, we make custom sports mouthguards for athletes of all ages using precise impressions of your teeth, and we build mouthguard checks into routine preventive care visits. As a family dental practice, we can fit everyone from your seven-year-old soccer player to the weekend warrior in the family — and we’re here for urgent care if a dental injury does happen. For a deeper, evidence-based look at sports dental injuries, see our companion clinical review of sports-related dental trauma and mouthguard efficacy.
When to See Us
Schedule a mouthguard fitting before the season starts, and contact us immediately after any blow to the mouth — even if the teeth look fine, damage below the gumline isn’t always visible. Call Fridman Family Dental Care in Valencia, CA at (661) 254-3700 or request an appointment online.
