How Should a Mouthguard Fit? Providing the Best Maximum Protection

It might surprise you to know, but believe it or not, a mouth guard should fit your mouth contours snugly in order to provide the best level of protection. Even if it is a tight fit, it should still be comfortable but the tightness is important to stop the mouthguard from staying in the correct position. Let’s take a closer look at what you should be thinking about when answering the question of ‘how should a mouthguard fit’.

The Importance Of A Custom Fit Mouthguard

Whether you are wearing a custom fit mouthguard at night, to protect your teeth from teeth grinding or sleep apnoea, or during the day for protection during contact sport, getting the right fit plays a major role in how effective your mouthguard is. If it moves around or slips out of place it can’t offer you the same level of protection against impact.

Here are some easy checks to put in place to ensure your mouth guard fits you correctly.

How Should A Mouthguard Fit?

Does It Cover Your Gums?

Your mouthguard should partially cover your gums. Not only does this coverage protect your gums against cuts, but it also does the important job of protecting your tooth roots against external impact. It shouldn’t cover the whole jaw, but it should come up high enough to protect the roots of your teeth.

Does It Make You Want To Gag?

Placing your mouthguard in your mouth should not cause a gag reflex. In order for this to happen, the mouthguard should not come into contact with your soft palate. This is one of the reasons why a custom fit mouthguard is so much better than a store-bought type.

When you have a custom mouthguard made, it will be cut according to the dimensions and contours of your mouth, and consideration can be given to your soft palate. 

Can You Still Speak Clearly?

It may not seem important if you are wearing a mouth guard to bed, but if you are playing a team sport, it’s really important for your teammates to be able to understand you.  A custom-fit mouthguard should never interfere with your ability to speak or breathe- and if it does either of these things, it’s a sign that you need a better fit. 

Do You Have To Work Harder To Hold It In Place?

You should not need to use your other jaw to keep your mouth guard in the correct position. It should stay in the correct position without moving around when you open your mouth. If it can move out of place when you move your mouth, the fit is not correct.  Your mouthguard should fit snugly against your jaw, without you needing to do anything extra to keep it in place.

So, How Should A Mouthguard Fit?

A custom mouthguard is measured and engineered to fit your mouth’s individual shape. While it is possible to purchase mouthguards from sports shops and online, having a custom fit will ensure the maximum degree of protection

To find out more about how should a mouthguard fit, please contact us for an appointment:

Buderim: (07) 5317 1023
Caloundra: (07) 5315 8076