At Guard Haus, we always recommend a custom sports guard for optimal protection, fit, and performance.
Custom guards are designed specifically to your anatomy, providing a secure fit that allows for better breathing, communication, and consistent impact protection during play.
At-home heat molded (boil-and-bite) guards can be a temporary option, but they often result in bulky fit, uneven thickness, and reduced long-term durability.
When is a custom guard not ideal?
A heat-molded or flexible option may be more appropriate if:
- The athlete is under the age of 12 and still has active tooth development (baby teeth present)
- The athlete has active orthodontic appliances, such as:Braces,Aligner attachments, Herbst or other functional appliances
In these cases, a guard may need to accommodate ongoing tooth movement or hardware changes.
Our Recommendation:
If there are no active changes occurring in the mouth, a custom, non-active appliance is always the best choice to ensure:
- Maximum protection
- Consistent fit
- Long-term durability