A mouthguard is a cushioned guard that protects teeth during sports.

In kid words

"A mouthguard is a squishy cushion that goes over your teeth so a bump during the game does not land right on them." You wear it any time you play a sport where kids can crash into each other or the ground. Lots of your teammates wear one too, so you are in good company.

The parent version

A mouthguard is a removable appliance worn over the teeth during sports to cushion the mouth against impact. The American Dental Association recommends a properly fitted mouthguard for children in sports that involve contact or collision, and the list runs longer than most parents expect: football and hockey, but also basketball, soccer, wrestling and even skateboarding.

Mouthguards generally come in two forms. Store-bought guards include ready-to-wear versions and boil-and-bite versions that soften in hot water so a child can bite an impression into them. Custom-made guards are built from an impression of a child's own teeth and tend to sit closer and stay put better. Neither style makes an injury impossible, since a mouthguard lowers the odds rather than removing them entirely. Which style fits your child is worth asking your pediatric dentist.

Where you might hear it at our office

If your child is starting a contact sport, a regular checkup is a natural place to raise the mouthguard question. Mouths at these ages change quickly, and a guard that fit last spring may not fit by fall. Ask about the options at a checkup, and your pediatric dentist can walk you through what to look for.

If another word from a visit is still a mystery, the rest of the dictionary is right here.

Related words

Words that often come up alongside mouthguard: bite, enamel and extraction.