Basketball Mouthguards: What NBA and WNBA Athletes Actually Wear

Basketball is often treated casually when it comes to dental protection. There is no helmet or face guard, and contact can come from an elbow, a head collision, a shoulder, or a hard fall to the floor. One play is enough to put your teeth directly in the path of that contact.

That is why a basketball mouthguard deserves more attention than it gets. Unlike football and hockey, basketball does not have universal mouthguard use across every league and level. Some players wear one consistently. Others do not. The difference is especially noticeable when you move from youth and school basketball to the professional game.

This guide looks at what NBA and WNBA athletes actually wear, why fit and retention matter during play, and what players and parents should consider before choosing a basketball mouthguard.

Why Basketball Players Need More Dental Protection Than You Might Think?

Basketball does not need to look like football to cause a dental injury. The mouth is still in the line of fire. According to Lang Liang and Sung-Kiang Chuang in Dental Traumatology, researchers reviewed 4,419 basketball-related oral injury cases in the United States from 2003 through 2022. Those cases represented an estimated 138,980 injuries nationally, with dental injuries making up 14.7% of the cases.

The way the contact happens matters. Compared with contact from another player, the study found higher odds of dental injury when the athlete experienced:

• 4.39 times higher after a collision with an object, such as a wall or basketball hoop
• 3.35 times higher after a fall
• 1.77 times higher after contact with the basketball

An elbow is not the only thing that can damage a tooth. A player can hit the floor hard, run into the basket structure, or take a direct shot from the ball. The impact does not have to come from another player for the teeth to take the hit.

Basketball has no helmet or face guard built into standard player equipment. The teeth, jaw, lips, and other oral structures stay exposed every possession. A properly fitted basketball mouthguard adds protection without putting a bulky piece of equipment between the athlete and the game.

What NBA and WNBA Athletes Actually Wear?

Do NBA players wear mouthguards? Yes, but not every player does.

Mouthguard use is not universal in professional basketball. Some players wear one consistently. Others do not. That comes down to factors such as fit, comfort, communication, and personal preference.

The dental injury numbers show why the issue deserves more attention. In a 2007 study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association, researchers reviewed traumatic dental injuries among University of Southern California athletes from 1996 to 2005. Basketball had the highest dental injury rate among the sports studied. Men's basketball had an incidence rate of 10.6 dental injuries per 100 athlete-seasons, more than five times the rate reported for football in the same study.

Basketball puts its own demands on a mouthguard. Players are talking, calling switches, directing teammates, and communicating with coaches throughout the game. A guard that moves around or makes it harder to speak can become a distraction.

Dr. Andrew Sarowitz knows that environment firsthand. From 2016 to 2022, he served as the official team dentist for the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty.

For a basketball mouthguard, the fit has to hold up while the athlete is doing the work:

• Retention: The guard needs to stay seated during running, contact, and heavy breathing without constant adjustment.
• Breathing: Basketball involves repeated bursts of movement. A mouthguard should not become another piece of equipment the athlete has to manage.
• Communication: Calling a defensive switch or directing a teammate does not stop because a mouthguard is in. The guard needs to stay secure without unnecessarily interfering with speech.
• Individual fit: Impact Dental Designs makes custom guards from an individual dental impression or digital scan. The guard is built around the athlete's own dental anatomy rather than a generic shape.

That is the difference that matters on a basketball court. Protection has to stay in place while the player is running the floor, breathing hard, and communicating through the possession.

Why Fit Matters on the Basketball Court?

A boil-and-bite mouthguard may be easy to pick up at a sporting goods store, but basketball creates two specific challenges: communication and retention.

Bulk can get in the way of talking: Basketball players call switches, direct teammates, and communicate throughout live play. A bulky guard can make speech harder. If a player takes it out to talk, the guard is no longer in place to protect the teeth.

Retention matters when breathing gets heavy: Full-court basketball means repeated running and sprinting. As breathing becomes harder, a loose guard can shift around the teeth and require adjustment. That is a problem when the player needs to stay focused on the possession.

A custom basketball mouthguard starts with an individual dental impression or digital scan. It is made around the athlete's own dental anatomy rather than a generic fit.

For a deeper look at the differences between custom and store-bought guards, see Custom Mouthguard vs. Store-Bought: Is It Actually Worth It?

What Parents and Players Should Know About Youth Basketball Mouthguards?

For youth basketball, the parent usually makes the buying decision. The player is the one wearing the guard through practice, conditioning, and games.

That makes fit a practical issue. A basketball mouthguard needs to stay seated while a young player is running, breathing hard, talking, and dealing with contact.

Retention: A guard that shifts during play needs to be adjusted. That takes attention away from the possession.

Communication: Young players call switches, direct teammates, and respond to coaches. A guard that interferes with speech can become a reason to take it out.

Dental changes: Children and teenagers are still developing. A guard that fit properly last season may not fit the same way after changes in the teeth and surrounding dental structures.

Growing athletes may need to replace a mouthguard sooner as their dental structures develop. Impact Dental Designs recommends watching for changes in fit and other signs that a guard needs to be replaced. See When to Replace Your Mouthguard: Signs to Know.

A school, league, or tournament may not require a mouthguard. That rule does not tell you whether a particular guard is a good fit for the player. Look at the equipment itself. Does it stay in place? Can the player talk without constantly adjusting it? Will they keep it in during live play? For more guidance, see How to Choose a Mouthguard: Key Factors to Consider.

For a young basketball player, those details can determine whether the mouthguard stays in the mouth or ends up in the gym bag.

Choosing a Custom Basketball Mouthguard

A basketball mouthguard has to hold up once the game gets physical. It needs to stay put while the athlete is running, breathing hard, talking, and dealing with contact.

A custom basketball mouthguard should:

• Stay locked in: The guard should remain seated during running, contact, and heavy breathing without constant adjustment.
• Keep communication open: Players call switches, direct teammates, and communicate with coaches throughout the game. The guard cannot become the thing getting in the way.
• Stay comfortable under game conditions: If the guard becomes uncomfortable during a practice or game, it can become another piece of equipment the athlete wants out of the mouth.
• Fit the athlete's teeth: Impact Dental Designs makes custom guards from an individual dental impression or digital scan. The guard is built around the athlete's own dental anatomy rather than a generic mouth shape.

The same custom fabrication process applies at every level. A youth player and a professional athlete do not get different fabrication methods. Each guard is made to the individual athlete's dental anatomy. For basketball players ready for that level of fit, see the Custom Professional Mouthguard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Protect Your Smile With a Custom Basketball Mouthguard

The level of competition does not change the need for a proper fit. A basketball mouthguard still needs to fit the athlete's teeth, stay in place, and remain comfortable during play.

Impact Dental Designs uses the same custom fabrication process across levels. Each guard starts with an individual dental impression or digital scan and is made to the athlete's own dental anatomy.

That means there is no off-the-shelf fit to force into place. The guard is made for the athlete wearing it.

For a custom basketball mouthguard made to the individual athlete, see the Custom Professional Mouthguard.