When most people think about a dentist's role in professional sports, they imagine treating a knocked-out tooth during a game. In reality, the role goes far beyond emergency care.
As the team dentist for the Washington Commanders for more than 16 seasons, I've had a unique opportunity to see how oral health — and especially properly designed mouthguards — can influence athletic performance, recovery and long-term wellness.
Where whole-body wellness meets clinical excellence.
Mouthguards Are Critical
In organized youth sports alone, nearly 40 million children and adolescents participate each year. By age 18, about half of all kids will experience some form of dental trauma and 30 to 40% of those injuries are sports related. Sports like basketball, soccer and baseball carry significant risk, yet mouthguards are not always required.
Even a $30 over-the-counter mouthguard is better than nothing. But custom mouthguards provide far greater protection, comfort and compliance.
If a mouthguard doesn't fit well, players simply won't wear it. The goal is to design something so comfortable that the athlete almost forgets it's there. That's when it becomes truly effective.
Caring for Elite Athletes
Professional athletes aren't immune to dental issues. In fact, many NFL players arrive with limited prior dental care and may present with chronic oral inflammation, periodontal disease or airway concerns — all of which can affect recovery and performance.
With the Commanders, my focus is on designing mouthguards that provide protection while still allowing athletes to breathe, communicate and perform at the highest level.
Helmets absorb some impact, but players frequently take hits under the chin. A properly designed mouthguard helps dissipate that force and may reduce the transmission of energy through the jaw.
I often describe custom mouthguards as energy management systems. They distribute forces across the teeth and alveolar bone. Generic or boil-and-bite guards typically cover only part of the dentition and fail to spread those forces effectively.
Designing the Perfect Mouthguard
Creating a mouthguard for an NFL athlete requires precision and attention to individual preference. Some players prefer thinner material in certain areas. Others want specific trimming or custom colors. But the priorities remain the same: fit, retention and comfort.
Early in my career, impressions were taken using alginate or polyvinyl materials, often right at the team facility. Today, I rely heavily on digital workflows. Using 3D scanners, we capture highly accurate digital models that allow for better design and long-term storage.
Thermoforming is still part of the process, but digital records mean we can easily reproduce or modify guards when needed.
Protection, Performance and Confidence
Mouthguards are about more than preventing trauma. They also influence how athletes perform.
Studies have shown that athletes wearing mouthguards often play more confidently and aggressively. For youth athletes especially, the difference between a custom guard and a boil-and-bite version often comes down to compliance. If it's comfortable, kids will actually wear it.
A recent meta-analysis found that athletes who do not wear mouthguards are 133% more likely to sustain dental injuries. When you consider the cost of repairing a single traumatized tooth — which can easily reach tens of thousands of dollars — the value of proper protection becomes obvious.
The Future of Mouthguards
Looking ahead, I believe custom mouthguards will become fully digital.
AI-driven CAD/CAM design and additive manufacturing will allow us to print guards with precise variations in thickness — thicker in areas that require greater impact absorption and thinner where comfort and speech are critical.
We are also beginning to see the emergence of biosensor technology within mouthguards. In the future, guards may measure impact forces or help detect subclinical concussions, similar to how wearable devices track heart rate and other biomarkers.
That type of technology has enormous potential — not just for professional athletes, but for youth sports as well.
Key Takeaways
- Custom mouthguards outperform generic options because comfort drives compliance.
- Proper fit and coverage are essential in contact and collision sports.
- Early adoption in youth athletics helps prevent trauma and reduce long-term dental costs.
- Digital workflows and 3D printing are transforming how mouthguards are fabricated.
- Mouthguards are part of a broader wellness strategy that supports both oral health and athletic performance.
At the end of the day, the goal is prevention. Whether I'm working with an NFL lineman or a middle school basketball player, the right mouthguard can save teeth, prevent injuries and help athletes perform with confidence.
