Custom-Fitted Sports Mouthguards in Hervey Bay
Protect Your Smile with Professionally Fitted Mouthguards.
If you’re an athlete in Hervey Bay, safeguarding your smile should be a top priority. A custom-fitted sports mouthguard is the best way to protect your teeth and jaw from sports-related injuries. Whether you’re on the field, court, or track, wearing a high-quality mouthguard can help prevent chipped, broken, or misaligned teeth—and even reduce the risk of losing a tooth entirely.
In addition to protecting your teeth, a custom mouthguard can reduce the likelihood of jaw fractures, injuries to the jaw joint, and neck strain. It’s also been shown to lower the risk of concussion, offering vital protection for athletes of all ages.
Dental injuries can be painful, costly, and often challenging to treat, particularly if a tooth is knocked out or broken. A single incident can lead to years of expensive and preventable dental work.
At our Hervey Bay clinic, we recommend custom-fitted mouthguards for players at every level—whether you’re a junior athlete or a seasoned professional. Prioritise your safety during training sessions and every game by investing in a mouthguard designed just for you.
What is a Mouthguard?
A mouthguard is a protective appliance that fits snugly over your teeth and is worn during sports to help prevent injuries. For some sports, wearing a mouthguard is not just recommended—it’s a mandatory part of the player’s kit.
While it may be tempting to purchase a boil-and-bite mouthguard from a pharmacy or sporting goods store, these off-the-shelf options often fall short in terms of comfort, fit, and protection. A professionally fitted custom mouthguard, on the other hand, is specifically designed to provide superior comfort, optimal fit, and maximum protection for your teeth and jaw.
Why Choose a Custom Mouthguard?
Custom mouthguards are crafted by a dentist to perfectly fit the unique shape of your teeth and mouth. This precise fit ensures that custom mouthguards offer maximum protection against sports-related injuries by effectively absorbing and dispersing the force of impact.
Unlike off-the-shelf or boil-and-bite options, custom-fitted mouthguards provide superior comfort and an accurate fit that enhances their protective qualities. This level of protection simply can’t be matched by mass-produced alternatives, making a custom mouthguard the safest choice for athletes of all ages.
Choose your own colours
At Smile Dental Hervey Bay, we make mouthguards that not only offer superior protection but also reflect your personal style! Choose up to two colours from our extensive range to match your team uniform or pick your favourite shades.
Say Goodbye to Lost Mouthguards
Parents, we’ve got you covered! To help keep track of your child’s mouthguard, we can permanently embed their name and/or phone number into it. If the mouthguard is ever misplaced, it’s much more likely to be returned—saving you time and money.
How Are Mouthguards Made?
Our dentist will begin by taking an accurate mould of the player’s teeth and gums. This mould is sent to a trusted laboratory, where skilled technicians craft the mouthguard using high-quality materials and advanced vacuum-forming technique.
Once the mouthguard is created, it will be:
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- Trimmed to ensure complete coverage of all teeth.
- Polished for a smooth finish with rounded edges.
- Checked for an accurate fit and optimal thickness.
Finally the mouthguard is placed in a protective case and returned to our practice, ready for the player to collect and use.
When should a sports mouthguard be worn?
A sports mouthguard should be worn whenever there’s a risk of injury to the mouth or jaw. Sporting injuries can happen due to:
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- Collisions (whether intentional or accidental) with other players.
- Unexpected contact with equipment, such as balls, bats, or bikes.
- Impact with hard surfaces like goalposts, the ground, or walls.
While injuries are more common in high-contact sports like AFL, they can happen in almost any sport.
It’s important to remember that teeth aren’t just at risk during organised games. Mouthguards should also be worn during activities like skateboarding, surfing, or even trampolining in the backyard—anytime there’s a chance of impact.
We’re proud to support the “No Mouthguard, No Play” policy that many Hervey Bay sports clubs have adopted to keep players safe.
How Should a Mouthguard Fit?
A well-fitted mouthguard should allow you to:
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- Talk with your teammates (and cheer them on!)
- Breathe easily during gameplay
- Sip water without difficulty
Your mouthguard should also be simple to clean and stay odour-free throughout the season.
While many players can use their mouthguard for more than one season, we recommend bringing it in for a check-up each year before the season starts. This ensures it still fits properly and provides the best protection for your teeth and jaw.
Why Choose a Custom Mouthguard Over Store-Bought Options?
Boil-and-bite and other store-bought mouthguards are made from softer, less durable materials compared to custom mouthguards. They’re also difficult to shape and smooth, leading to several common issues:
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- Store-bought mouthguards may shift or even fall out when you run or talk.
- You’ll often need to clench your teeth to keep the guard in place, which can interfere with breathing—especially during physical activity.
- These mouthguards are frequently uncomfortable to wear, tempting you to leave them out when you need them most.
Investing in a custom-fitted mouthguard ensures comfort, durability, and reliable protection, giving you peace of mind on the field or court.
Common Issues with Poorly Fitted Mouthguards:
Poorly fitted mouthguards, such as boil-and-bite or store-bought options, often come with several drawbacks that compromise their effectiveness and comfort:
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- Excessive and uneven thickness, making the guard uncomfortable to wear.
- Incomplete coverage of the front teeth and gums, leaving them vulnerable to injury.
- Rapid wear and tear, reducing the mouthguard’s lifespan.
- Thin, fragile edges that tear easily or irritate the gums, cheeks, and tongue.
- Rough, hard-to-clean surfaces, which can cause the mouthguard to develop unpleasant odours and tastes over time.
For a mouthguard that offers optimal protection and long-lasting comfort, a custom-fitted option crafted by a dentist is the superior choice.
Learn More About Mouthguards
The Australian Dental Association (ADA) has created a helpful short video explaining the importance of mouthguards and how they protect your teeth during sports. For more information, visit the ADA’s website at teeth.org.au/sports-mouthguards.