Custom Mouth Guards for Sports and Grinding in Richmond, BC
Custom mouthguards are protective oral appliances created from impressions or scans of your teeth. They help cushion impact and reduce the risk of injuries to the teeth, lips, cheeks and gums during sports and physical activity.
Richmond Denture Clinic creates fitted mouthguards based on the shape of your teeth and bite. Personalized sizing can improve comfort, retention, breathing and speech compared with a poorly fitting stock mouthguard.
Sports mouthguards and night guards serve different purposes. Sports guards include cushioning for impact protection, while guards for grinding are designed to reduce damage caused by clenching or grinding during sleep. The same appliance should not automatically be used for both activities.
Types of Store-Bought Mouthguards
- Boil-and-Bite Mouthguards: Thermoplastic material is softened in hot water and shaped at home. Fit and retention depend on careful preparation and following the manufacturer’s directions.
- Stock Mouthguards: Pre-formed guards are sold in standard sizes and cannot be customized. Some require the wearer to clench to hold them in place, which may affect comfort, speech or breathing.
Custom-Fit Mouthguards: a custom sports mouthguard is created from a detailed model of your teeth. Material thickness and design can be selected according to the sport, age, bite and expected level of contact.
Fit should be checked periodically, particularly for children and teens whose teeth and jaws are still developing. Replacement may be needed when the guard becomes worn, damaged, loose or difficult to clean.
Store-Bought vs Custom-Fit Mouth Guards
Store-bought guards provide an accessible option and may offer protection when correctly fitted and worn. Boil-and-bite designs generally provide more adaptability than pre-formed stock guards.
Custom-fit guards are made specifically for the wearer’s mouth. Their close fit may improve retention, comfort, breathing and communication, making athletes more likely to wear them consistently.
The most appropriate option depends on the activity, injury risk, age, dental condition and budget. Consistent use and proper fit remain essential regardless of the mouthguard type.
Sports Guards
Sports mouthguards help protect the teeth and surrounding oral tissues during activities involving contact, falls, flying equipment or collisions.
Custom guards may be considered for:
- Hockey mouthguards
- Football mouthguards
- Boxing mouthguards
- Martial arts mouthguards
- Rugby mouthguards
- Lacrosse mouthguards
- Basketball, baseball and soccer
- Cycling, skateboarding and other activities with oral injury risk
Properly fitted athletic mouthguards should remain securely in place, provide appropriate tooth coverage and allow the wearer to breathe and communicate comfortably.
Richmond Denture Clinic provides mouthguards for adults, mouthguards for teens and mouthguards for children. Growing athletes may require more frequent fit checks and replacement as their teeth and jaws change.
Mouthguards help reduce dental and oral injuries, but they cannot prevent every injury. Current evidence about whether mouthguards reduce concussion risk remains mixed, so they should be used alongside helmets and other sport-specific protective equipment.
Protect Your Smile With a Custom Mouth Guard
Richmond Denture Clinic provides custom mouthguards in Richmond for sports and physical activities, along with individually designed guards for teeth grinding. Contact our custom mouthguard provider to arrange an assessment and have a guard designed for your teeth, bite and intended activity.