Mouthguards For Junior Sport
Junior sport is where many dental injuries happen — and where a custom mouthguard can help reduce the risk.
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Custom-fit guard · HICAPS on the day · Pre-season fittings
Children and teenagers play a lot, fall a lot, and often have a mix of baby and adult teeth that makes the fit of an off-the-shelf guard difficult to get right.
At a glance
- Custom guards from around age 7–8 once the upper adult front teeth are through.
- Refit at least yearly while growth and orthodontics are active.
- CDBS does not cover the guard itself but can cover the routine care that supports it, up to the benefit cap.
Not your sport? See contact football codes, stick-and-ball sports, water sports, mouthguards with braces.
Why junior players need a different approach
Three things make junior mouthguards a different conversation to adult guards:
Mixed dentition
Most junior players have a mix of baby and adult teeth at the same time. Adult teeth come through in stages between roughly age six and twelve.
Growth
The jaw, dental arch, and bite continue to grow well into the teenage years. A guard that fits perfectly today can be loose in six months.
Orthodontics
Many junior athletes are in braces, plates, or clear aligners during their sporting years, which affects how a guard is designed — see mouthguards with braces.
Boil-and-bite guards can work as a short-term option for casual kick-arounds, but for organised competition a custom guard is usually the better choice once the front adult teeth are through. See custom vs boil-and-bite for the comparison.
What junior players are most often protecting
The upper front teeth are the most commonly injured in junior sport. The injuries we see most often:
- Chipped or fractured front incisors
- Knocked-out adult teeth — see knocked-out tooth first aid
- Cuts to the upper lip from a tooth being driven backwards into soft tissue
- Bumped or loosened front teeth that need monitoring
- Bitten tongue and inside-of-cheek injuries
For on-field injury management, our sports dental injuries page covers what to do at the side of the field, and children’s dental emergency covers the wider category.
When to start with a custom mouthguard
For most junior players, a custom mouthguard is appropriate once the upper front adult teeth have erupted — typically from around age seven or eight onwards.
Before that, a soft boil-and-bite is often a better short-term option because the dentition is changing month-to-month.
From the early teenage years onwards, when most adult teeth are in and any orthodontic plan is clearer, a custom guard becomes a sensible season-long piece of kit.
Pre-season is the best time for a junior fitting. Book a mouthguard appointment (opens in a new tab)
Replacement schedule for growing players
Junior guards usually need replacing more often than adult guards. Common reasons:
- New adult teeth erupting beneath the guard area
- Growth of the jaw and dental arches
- Orthodontic movement during braces or aligners
- Wear and tear from full seasons of training and chewing
As a general guide, expect to refit a junior guard at least every twelve months, and sometimes mid-season if growth or orthodontics are active. Bringing the guard to routine check-up and clean appointments lets us assess the fit at the same time as the rest of the teeth. See care and replacement for cleaning routines.
Mouthguards and orthodontics
Junior players in braces or clear aligners need a guard that accommodates the brackets and allows for tooth movement.
The guard is generally softer through the bracket area and is refitted more often through active treatment. See mouthguards with braces for detail.
What to expect at the appointment
- Scan or impression We take a digital scan or a quick impression of the upper teeth. For most junior players this is a five-minute process — no needles, no drilling.
- Fabrication The guard is made from layered EVA. Kids can usually choose the colours.
- Fitting At the fitting we check the guard hugs the teeth, sits comfortably, and does not lift during talking or jaw movements.
- Reviews We check the guard at routine check-ups and adjust or refit as needed.
CDBS and junior dental care
The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) does not generally cover custom mouthguards, but it can cover routine examinations, cleans, fluoride, fissure sealants, fillings, and other essential dental care that helps your child’s overall dental health, up to the benefit cap.
Our CDBS bulk-billed children’s dentistry page explains eligibility, what is included, and how we bulk-bill the eligible care.
For wider children’s dental information, see our children’s dentistry hub. Families looking for a regular dentist in the local area can read our Sandgate dentist overview.
Health funds and payment
Sandgate Family Dental is a HICAPS provider.
Where your family’s private health fund includes mouthguard rebates, we process the claim at the practice and you only pay the gap. The rebate depends on your policy, level of cover, and annual limits — your fund can confirm before the appointment.
Junior sport mouthguard FAQs
At what age can my child get a custom mouthguard?
Most kids are ready once the upper front adult teeth are through, usually around age seven or eight. Before that, a soft boil-and-bite is often more sensible because the mouth is changing rapidly.
How often will the guard need replacing?
Plan on at least once a year for growing kids, and possibly mid-season if growth or orthodontics is active. We check the fit at routine check-ups.
Is one mouthguard enough for multiple sports?
Usually yes — a custom guard suits most field, court, and water sports. Combat sports often need a thicker guard. We discuss what suits at your first visit.
What about my child’s baby teeth — does a guard still help?
It can. Baby teeth can be chipped or knocked loose, and the soft tissue around them can be injured. For very young children, a softer guard is usually more practical until more adult teeth are through.
My child has just started braces — what do we do about the guard?
We make an orthodontic-friendly guard that accommodates the brackets and is refitted as treatment progresses. See mouthguards with braces.
Are mouthguards mandatory in junior sport?
Many junior rugby, league, hockey, and lacrosse competitions require mouthguards. Other codes strongly recommend but do not mandate them. Check the rules for your club and season.
What is the best way to remind kids to actually wear it?
Keep the guard in its case in the kit bag, not loose. Make wearing it part of the warm-up routine — boots on, shin pads on, guard in. A guard that lives in the car or on the kitchen bench tends to be forgotten.
Related sports mouthguard pages
Our North Brisbane dentist page sets out the wider service area.
For wider kids dental info: children’s dentistry, CDBS bulk billing, children’s sports mouthguards.
Ready to get your child fitted?
Junior sport, school sport, and club competition — a custom guard is sized for the season ahead.
Book a mouthguard fitting (opens in a new tab)Or phone Sandgate Family Dental on (07) 3269 6252