MOUTH GUARDS: protection & confidence in hockey

As players move through minor hockey, equipment gradually changes. Younger athletes typically wear full cages, while older players may transition to visors. One piece of equipment, however, should remain consistent at every level: the mouth guard.

Many parents assume mouth guards are only necessary when a player’s teeth are exposed. In reality, research shows that mouth guards provide benefits well beyond protecting teeth from direct impact. They can help reduce dental injuries, stabilize the jaw during collisions, and may even play a role in reducing concussion risk.

Just as importantly, many athletes report that wearing a mouth guard helps them play with greater confidence.

Protection for Teeth and Jaw

The original purpose of a mouth guard was dental protection, and this remains one of its most important roles.

Hockey is a fast, unpredictable sport. Even with a full cage, players can experience impacts from falls, collisions with other players, or contact with the boards or ice. When these impacts occur, the lower jaw can snap upward into the upper jaw with significant force.

A properly fitted mouth guard acts as a shock absorber between the upper and lower teeth. This cushioning helps prevent injuries such as:

• broken or chipped teeth

• lip and tongue lacerations

• jaw injuries

• damage to gums and soft tissue

Sports dentistry research consistently shows that athletes who do not wear mouth guards are more than twice as likely to suffer dental injuries compared with those who do.

A Role in Concussion Reduction?

In recent years, researchers have also studied whether mouth guards can help reduce concussion risk.

Several studies involving youth hockey players have found that athletes wearing mouth guards experienced lower concussion rates compared with players who did not wear them. While mouth guards cannot prevent all head injuries, researchers believe they may help absorb and distribute impact forces through the jaw.

Because the jaw connects directly to the skull, reducing the force transmitted through the jaw joint may help limit the energy transferred toward the brain during certain types of collisions.

For parents and coaches, this makes mouth guards one of the simplest protective habits players can develop.

Important for Both Cages and Visors

For players wearing visors, the benefit of a mouth guard is obvious. Teeth are exposed, and the risk of direct contact from a stick or puck increases.

However, mouth guards remain valuable even for players wearing full cages. A cage protects the face from direct impact, but it does not prevent the jaw from absorbing force during falls or collisions. The cushioning effect of a mouth guard still helps protect the teeth and jaw when these impacts occur.

This is why many coaches encourage the habit of wearing one early in a player’s development. When it becomes routine at a young age, players are more likely to continue using one as they move into older levels of hockey.

Jaw Clenching, Strength, and Competitive Intensity

Another interesting benefit of mouth guards relates to how athletes naturally respond during moments of physical effort.

In many sports, athletes instinctively clench their jaw when exerting force. This happens during heavy lifts in the gym, during collisions in contact sports, or when pushing hard during competition. Researchers studying neuromuscular performance have found that jaw clenching can activate muscles throughout the body and may improve stability and force production.

A mouth guard provides a safe surface for athletes to bite down on during these moments of effort. Instead of teeth slamming together during impact, the mouth guard cushions the bite while allowing players to naturally engage their jaw.

In hockey, this often happens during intense situations such as:

• battling along the boards

• absorbing contact

• accelerating explosively

• competing for loose pucks in traffic

The result is not simply aggression, but controlled intensity and readiness to compete. Players feel physically braced and prepared for contact.

If you watch NHL games closely, you will often see players chewing or biting on their mouth guards between shifts or during play. While this can sometimes just be a habit, many athletes describe it as part of their routine that helps them stay engaged and ready for physical play.

For young athletes, developing the habit of wearing a mouth guard early can help them feel comfortable competing in physical situations while still protecting their teeth and jaw.

A Habit Worth Building

Mouth guards are one of the simplest pieces of protective equipment in hockey. They are inexpensive, widely available, and easy to fit. More importantly, they represent a small habit that can reduce injury risk and help players compete with confidence.

For many experienced players and coaches, wearing a mouth guard simply became part of the routine.

As Champions Hockey co-owner Stacy Smallman explains:"I wore a mouth guard throughout my playing career, and when my boys started playing hockey it was never optional. The protection is important, but it also gives players confidence to compete hard without worrying about taking a stick or puck in the mouth."

Building habits like this early helps players stay safe while allowing them to play the game the way it is meant to be played.