Mouthguard
A mouthguard is a soft protective insert worn over the teeth in contact sports to help cushion impacts to the mouth.
Definition
A mouthguard, also called a gum shield, is a moulded piece of pliable material that fits over the upper teeth. It is worn in contact and collision sports to help cushion blows and reduce the chance of damage to the teeth, lips and jaw during clashes, tackles or strikes.
Mouthguards range from ready-made stock versions to “boil-and-bite” types that are softened in hot water and shaped to the wearer’s teeth, through to custom-fitted guards made from an individual mould. A closer fit generally makes a mouthguard more comfortable and easier to keep in place while breathing and moving.
Where you’ll hear “mouthguard”
Sports that use this term:
Boxing
A striking combat sport built on footwork, timing and conditioning, practised from fitness drills to controlled sparring.
Rugby
A physical team sport of carrying, passing and kicking an oval ball toward the opposing line.
American Football
A strategic, position-based team sport of set plays, sprinting and coordinated teamwork on a marked field.
Mixed Martial Arts
A combat sport that blends striking and grappling from several disciplines into one all-round skill set.
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Equipment
- MouthguardA moulded guard worn over the teeth in contact and combat sports.
- Shin guardsProtective pads worn over the shins in football and other field sports.
- VolleyballA soft, inflated ball struck with the hands and arms in volleyball.
- Padel racketA solid, stringless perforated racket used to play padel.
- BasketballA large, inflated ball with a dimpled surface used to play basketball.
Practice & sessions
- Mobility sessionA session built around moving well through a range of motion — gentle, controlled work to help the body move freely.
- Technical sessionA session built around technique — grooving and refining the mechanics of how a movement or shot is executed.
- Conditioning sessionA session built around physical conditioning — developing the fitness qualities a sport draws on, rather than its skills or tactics.
- Tactical sessionA session built around tactics — how you use space, position and patterns of play, rather than the mechanics of a shot.
- Skill-development sessionA session built around learning and improving a skill over time — acquiring it, refining it and making it more reliable.
Muscle groups
- ObliquesThe muscles on the sides of the trunk that rotate and side-bend the torso and help brace the core.
- ForearmsThe muscles of the lower arm that move the wrist and fingers and drive grip strength.
- BicepsThe muscles on the front of the upper arm that bend the elbow and turn the forearm.
- ChestThe broad muscles across the front of the ribcage that push the arms forward and across the body.
- ShouldersThe rounded muscles capping the shoulder joint that lift and rotate the arms in every direction.
Training methods
- Progressive OverloadProgressive overload is the principle of gradually increasing the demand you place on your body so it keeps adapting and improving over time.
- Strength TrainingStrength training uses resistance — bodyweight, bands or weights — to challenge your muscles so they gradually adapt and get stronger over time.
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- Content type
- Term
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
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- Content updated
- 2026-08-04
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