Mouthguards
We don’t just straighten teeth. We provide custom-fitted mouthguards for pupils, which we do throughout the year as we know that the teeth and bite positions can change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most school pupils will participate in a contact sport. Unfortunately, there is always a risk of injury to the face or to the mouth, which can often lead to extensive dental treatment. Mouthguards are soft plastic-based dental appliances which fit over the teeth to protect your child’s face and mouth. They protect the teeth, gums, cheeks and jaw from accidental injury during sport by acting as shock-absorbers and by spreading out the impact.
All mouthguards have the same function: to protect the face and mouth from damage. Generally speaking, the better the fit of the mouthguard, the better the protection offered will be.
1. Stock mouthguards: These are prefabricated in a few shapes and sizes. The cost is usually the lowest as they are made in big batches, however they often do not provide a comfortable fit as they are designed to fit a wide variety of mouths.
2. Boil and bite mouthguards: These come in off-the-shelf shapes and sizes and can be softened a little so that they mold around the teeth. They are mid-way regarding cost and function.
3. Customised mouthguards: These offer the best level of protection due to their optimal fitting, and often justify the higher cost. A dental professional takes an impression or digital scan of the teeth and gums – this information is relayed to a dental laboratory who produce the personalised mouthguard.
Single colour mouthguards will cost £60, whereas mouthguards made from two colours will cost £65.
School Teeth clinicians will be able to see your child during one of their school clinics, where a digital 3D scan of your child’s teeth and gums will be taken. Using the latest technology, teeth can now be scanned instead of having the putty impressions, enhancing the patient experience and increasing accuracy of mouthguard fitting. It is completely safe and no X-rays are involved.
As will be the case for all School Teeth services, a UK-registered dentist will carry out the digital scan. All School Teeth team members are enhanced-DBS-checked and are regulated by the General Dental Council of the UK.
Your child’s scan will be sent to the dental laboratory where they will utilise 3D printing technology to print a model of your child’s teeth and subsequently produce a customised mouthguard. It will then be brought back to your child’s school, ready to be worn by your child.
Your child’s customised mouthguard will be provided with its own case for secure storage when the mouthguard is not being worn. The mouthguards are most effective when they fit well, so care must be taken to avoid distorting them. They should be rinsed in cold water and cleaned with soapy water or with a retainer cleaning solution (available at School Teeth) after each use. Hot water, liquids or direct sunlight should be avoided as they can lead to warping of the mouthguard.
Customised mouthguards can last over a year, provided they are well looked-after. The reasons that they are usually replaced, are due to children having orthodontic treatment, mouthguards being lost, baby teeth being lost or changes in tooth positions if the mouthguards have not been worn for a period of time, or the mouthguard being damaged.
Whether your child has a fixed metal or clear brace, or even if they have clear aligners (i.e. Invisalign), it is not advisable to have a customised mouthguard made. This is because your child’s tooth positions will be changing as a result of the orthodontic treatment and a well-fitting mouthguard will hinder the planned tooth movements. It is better to purchase an orthodontic mouthguard or to purchase a boil-and-bite mouthguard which can be frequently re-adapted.
As soon as your child undergoes orthodontic treatment, their customised mouthguard will no longer fit. It is still advisable to have a well-fitting mouthguard up until the time of braces. Once braces or orthodontic treatment has been completed, a customised mouthguard can be made from the same digital scan which is used to make orthodontic retainers.
All School Teeth mouthguards will be personalised with your child’s name embossed into the mouthguard. We will also have your child’s name printed onto their mouthguard case.
Depending on the amount of time that has elapsed since loss of the mouthguard, it may be possible to have another mouthguard made directly from your child’s original digital scan. Our dentists will be able to advise on this. The lead time for this is usually 1 week.
Please get in touch with our customer care team, who will be happy to assist you. They very rarely do not fit after being manufactured. More commonly however, the mouthguard may no longer fit if it has not been worn for a number of months.