Protect your smile during sports with custom sport guards in Jacksonville, FL.
A single collision on the field, one elbow to the jaw during a basketball scramble, or one hard fall on a bike can fracture a tooth, dislocate a jaw, or knock a tooth out entirely. These injuries happen in a fraction of a second, and no amount of athletic conditioning changes how vulnerable teeth are to sudden impact. A custom sport guard is the most direct, most effective way to protect your smile during any activity that puts your mouth at risk.
At Patriot Family Dental in Jacksonville, FL, we fit custom sport guards for athletes of all ages, skill levels, and activity types. Dr. Kevin Wiman, a West Point graduate, U.S. Army veteran, and U.S. Navy retiree, brings the same disciplined precision to every appliance we provide as he does to every service under our general dentistry umbrella. Protecting teeth before injury occurs is always a better outcome than restoring them after.
The sporting goods aisle carries no shortage of mouthguard options, but the gap between a custom-fitted appliance and an over-the-counter product is significant. Stock and boil-and-bite guards are manufactured to fit a generic mouth, which means they rarely sit securely, frequently shift during activity, and require constant biting pressure to stay in place. An unstable guard that moves under impact provides only a fraction of the protection a properly fitted one delivers.
According to the American Dental Association, a 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis found mouthguard users were between 82% and 93% less likely to suffer dentofacial injuries than non-users, and the type of mouthguard influences outcome. Custom sport guards are fabricated in a dental office from precise impressions of your teeth, creating a stable, snug fit that stays in place under impact without requiring you to bite down to hold it. The result is an appliance that absorbs and distributes force evenly across the entire arch rather than concentrating it on individual teeth.
We begin with detailed impressions of your upper teeth, from which your guard is fabricated to match the exact shape of your dental arch. Once it is ready, we check the fit carefully, make any necessary adjustments, and ensure it is comfortable enough that wearing it does not interfere with breathing or communication during play. Most patients are surprised by how much more comfortable a custom guard feels compared to what they have used before.
Sport guard use is commonly associated with football and hockey, but dental trauma occurs across a far wider range of activities than most athletes realize. The ADA recommends mouthguard use in contact, collision, limited-contact, and a number of individual sports where an impact to the face is possible. Jacksonville’s active community spans youth recreational leagues, high school and collegiate athletics, adult competitive sports, and military fitness training, and our team fits guards for athletes across all of these settings.
Activities where a custom sport guard is strongly recommended include:
If there is any chance of contact to the face, jaw, or head during an activity, a custom sport guard is a worthwhile investment.
Dental trauma from sports injuries is rarely minor. A fractured tooth may require a dental crown to rebuild the damaged structure. A tooth knocked out entirely may leave a gap that ultimately calls for a dental bridge or implant to restore function and prevent bone loss. Jaw trauma severe enough to affect the bone or joint may warrant advanced imaging through our 3D CBCT technology to fully assess what occurred beneath the surface.
The cost of a custom sport guard is modest compared to any of these restorative paths, and its value compounds every time you take the field without incident. Prevention is simply the most efficient form of dental care.
Children and teenagers face unique considerations when it comes to sport guards. Jaws and teeth are still developing, and the eruption of new permanent teeth can change the fit of an existing guard over time. We recommend that young athletes have their guards checked and refitted at regular intervals to ensure they continue to provide proper coverage and protection as their dentition changes.
Establishing the habit of wearing a sport guard early also builds the kind of preventive mindset that pays dividends across a lifetime of oral health. We make the fitting process easy and comfortable for patients of all ages, and our team takes the time to explain the importance of the guard in a way that resonates with young athletes and the parents who support them.
A sport guard is a clinical appliance, and the precision of its fit determines how well it protects. At Patriot Family Dental, Dr. Wiman’s military background shaped a philosophy built on doing things correctly and completely, and that standard extends to every impression, every fabrication check, and every fitting appointment we conduct. We do not offer one-size solutions because we know every athlete’s mouth is different and every sport presents its own demands. Flexible financing is available through CareCredit, Alphaeon, and Cherry for patients managing the cost of their care, and Dr. Wiman’s full background and patient care approach are detailed on his provider profile.
Your teeth are worth protecting. Whether you are suiting up for the first practice of the season or returning to an activity after a long break, the right time to get fitted is before the first contact, not after. Contact our office to schedule your custom sport guard fitting at Patriot Family Dental and step onto the field with one less thing to worry about.
Mon - Thurs: 8AM to 4PM Fri: By Appointment Only Sat - Sun: Closed
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