Every fall, dental offices across the Conejo Valley see the same injuries roll in: a chipped front tooth from an elbow during a basketball scrimmage, a split lip from a soccer collision, a tooth knocked loose at football practice. Almost all of them share something in common. The athlete either was not wearing a mouthguard, or was wearing a store-bought one that had shifted out of place.
A custom sports guard is one of the least expensive and most effective pieces of protective equipment a young athlete can own. At Agoura Dental Group, located at 5809 Kanan Road in Agoura Hills, we fit them in two short appointments, and the whole process is genuinely painless.
A custom sports guard is a professionally fitted oral appliance made from durable material that cushions the teeth, lips, and jaw against impact. Unlike a guard you buy off a shelf, it is fabricated in a dental lab from impressions of your own teeth, so it matches your bite precisely.
That precision is the whole point. A guard that fits correctly stays put during play, covers every tooth on the arch it protects, and spreads the force of a hit across the entire appliance instead of concentrating it on one or two teeth.
The American Dental Association describes three categories of mouthguard, and the differences between them are significant.
The research supports the investment. Studies cited by the ADA found that mouthguard users were between 82 and 93 percent less likely to suffer dentofacial injuries, and one study of college basketball players found dental injury rates five times lower among athletes wearing custom-fitted guards specifically. Evidence on whether mouthguards reduce concussion risk is mixed, so we do not promise that, but the protection they offer to teeth, lips, and jaw is well established.
There is also a practical argument. A custom guard costs a fraction of what it takes to repair a fractured front tooth, and repairing a tooth in a growing mouth often means committing to a lifetime of replacements down the road.
The ADA recommends mouthguards for collision and contact sports including football, hockey, rugby, wrestling, and boxing. It also recommends them for limited-contact activities that parents often overlook, such as baseball, gymnastics, skateboarding, and volleyball.
Worth knowing: the NCAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations currently mandate mouthguards only for football, field hockey, ice hockey, and lacrosse. Basketball, soccer, and wrestling, all of which produce plenty of dental injuries, are not on that list. If your athlete plays a sport where a mouthguard is not required, that is a decision left to you rather than a sign the risk is low.
Getting a custom sports guard is one of the simplest things we do:
Because growing mouths change, we check the fit of your athlete's guard at routine checkups and let you know when it is time for a new one. Most children and teens need a replacement every season or two.
A guard only protects if it is in decent condition and actually gets worn. A few habits make a real difference:
Braces make a mouthguard more important, not less. An impact against brackets can cut the inside of the lip badly, and a dislodged appliance can set treatment back weeks. Because Agoura Dental Group has an in-house orthodontist, we can coordinate a guard designed to work with braces and adjust it as treatment progresses. If your child is in clear aligner treatment, aligners are not protective equipment, and a separate sports guard is still needed.
Patients sometimes assume one appliance can do both jobs. It cannot. A sports guard is built to absorb sudden, high-energy impact. A custom night guard is built to absorb sustained grinding pressure during sleep and is part of how we treat bruxism. They are made from different materials at different thicknesses. If you need both, we make both.
Families from Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Westlake Village, Oak Park, and Thousand Oaks come to us because every specialty is under one roof. Dr. Choroomi works alongside an in-house pediatric dentist, orthodontist, periodontist, endodontist, and implant specialist. That means a sports guard fitting can happen at the same visit as your child's cleaning, and if an injury does happen on the field, our tooth repair and children's emergency team is the same team that already knows your child's mouth.
We accept most major PPO plans and Medi-Cal, and we offer in-house financing. Check accepted plans on our insurance page or review payment options on our financing page. New patients currently receive a $50 gift card that can be applied toward any treatment.
With fall sports underway, now is the right time to get your athlete fitted. Two short visits, no discomfort, and protection that lasts the whole season.
Call (818) 706-2727 or book your appointment online. Our office at 5809 Kanan Road in Agoura Hills is open Monday through Friday 9 to 6 and Saturday 10 to 3, with Sunday appointments by request.
