Sports Mouthguard Damaged or Not Fitting?Tell Your Dentist
Breath & MouthArticleBring changes in your fitted contact-sports guard to your dental team.
In this article
If your dentist-fitted contact-sports mouthguard changes, tell your dental team. Dorset County Hospital1 advises patients to report irritation, poor fit, damage or deterioration, an impact involving the guard, and tooth damage.1
Describe the change
- What feels different about the fit?
- Is the guard irritating your mouth?
- Have you noticed damage or deterioration?
- Was it subjected to an impact? Describe what happened and any tooth damage.
Tell the team when you noticed the problem. Ask whether they want you to bring the guard for assessment.
Ask about your next use
Try: “This fitted sports guard has changed. Can you assess it and tell me what to do before I wear it again?”
Dorset’s leaflet says not to modify the custom-made guard’s design. Ask your dentist about the appropriate next step for your own guard.1
Keep the team’s instructions with your sports-kit notes so you can check what was agreed.
Is It My Breath? includes a visit script. Use it to organize your dental questions and appointment notes. See the book.
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It isn't a substitute for diagnosis or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional who knows your health history. Please don't ignore professional advice or delay getting care because of something you read here. If you think you may be having a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. Girl Playbook does not endorse any specific product, test, or provider.
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Sources
The research behind this article, in the order it’s cited. How we source our articles.
- Dorset County Hospital, 2021Caring for your Mouth Guard (opens in a new tab)abc
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