Sport Guards in Marietta, GA | Kabani Dental

One hard collision, one errant elbow, one fall at the wrong angle, and a chipped, cracked, or knocked-out tooth can turn a great game into an expensive dental emergency that requires months of treatment to correct. A custom sport guard is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to protect your teeth, and it takes far less time to get one than it does to repair what happens without one.

At Kabani Dental in Marietta, GA, we provide custom-fit sport guards for athletes of all ages as part of our general dentistry services. Dr. Shaila Kabani has over 20 years of clinical experience and more than 300 hours of advanced continuing education, and she takes the same approach to protective dental appliances that she does to every other treatment: precise, personalized, and built around what actually works for each individual patient.

Why Sport Guards Matter More Than Most Athletes Realize

Dental and orofacial injuries are far more common in athletic settings than most people assume. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s policy on prevention of sports-related orofacial injuries, data from the 2020-2021 school year showed that of over 619,000 injuries reported during athletic competition, nearly 19 percent occurred to the head and face. A related study using the same database found the rate of dental injuries during competition was three times higher than during practice, and for the majority of those injuries, the athlete was not wearing a mouthguard.

The True Cost of Skipping Protection

A single tooth fracture, avulsion, or soft tissue laceration can require custom crowns, root canal treatment, implants, or extended restorative care depending on the severity of the injury. The financial and time investment required to repair dental trauma almost always far exceeds the cost of a custom guard. For patients who already have restorative dental work in place, the stakes are even higher, as dental restorations can be damaged by impact just as natural teeth can.

Who Should Wear a Sport Guard

Sport guards are not just for contact sports like football and hockey, though those athletes absolutely need them. Any sport that involves a risk of falls, collisions, or flying objects warrants protection. This includes basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, martial arts, gymnastics, skateboarding, and cycling. We provide sport guards for teens and adults through our family dentistry services, and we see cooperative patients from age four and up who participate in organized athletics.

Custom Sport Guards vs. Store-Bought Options

Boil-and-bite guards from sporting goods stores offer minimal, inconsistent protection because they are not fabricated to the precise contours of your teeth and bite. A poorly fitting guard can actually shift during impact rather than absorbing force evenly, and many athletes find them so uncomfortable that they stop wearing them altogether. A guard that stays in a gym bag provides no protection.

Custom sport guards from Kabani Dental are made from digital impressions of your mouth, ensuring a fit that stays securely in place during activity, allows normal breathing and speaking, and distributes impact forces across the entire arch rather than concentrating them at a single point. The difference in comfort and compliance between a custom guard and a store-bought one is significant, and compliance is ultimately what makes protection effective.

How We Make Your Custom Sport Guard

The process begins with digital impressions of your upper and lower teeth, which eliminates the mess and discomfort of traditional putty-based impressions. From those impressions, your guard is fabricated from durable, high-quality material in the appropriate thickness for your sport and level of contact. We also make note of any existing restorations, orthodontic work, or bite considerations that should be factored into the design. For patients who also grind their teeth at night, it is worth noting that a sport guard and a night guard serve different biomechanical functions and are not interchangeable. Dr. Kabani will advise whether separate appliances are appropriate based on your specific needs.

If you sustain an injury during sport despite wearing a guard, or if a dental emergency arises at any time, we offer emergency dentistry with same-day appointments to address urgent situations promptly.

Kabani Dental Can Help With Your Sport Guard in Marietta

Dr. Kabani’s patient-first philosophy means every appliance we provide is designed with real-world use in mind. She conducts thorough pre-clinical evaluations before recommending any treatment, which means your sport guard is built around your anatomy, your sport, and your lifestyle rather than a generic template. Kabani Dental has been recognized as a Best Cosmetic Practice in East Cobb for multiple consecutive years, reflecting a standard of quality and precision that carries through every service we offer. Dr. Kabani’s credentials, training from the Pankey Institute, and background are detailed on the about us page.

Getting a custom sport guard is a straightforward process that can often be completed in just one or two appointments. Contact our office today to schedule your visit at Kabani Dental in Marietta, GA, and let us make sure your smile is protected every time you compete.