Are you going on vacation and want to go for ice-skating or mountain biking, or intend to participate in motor sports? Then don’t forget to take your mouthguard while packing your bags. You would need a mouth guard or gum shield to protect your teeth and gums from injuries from concussion. These are covers, which give protection to teeth, gums, lips, and jaws from injury while participating in contact sports. These are available in three different types such as readymade or stock mouth guards, boil and bite types or mouth adapted, and custom-made. If you are using the readymade type it is unlikely that it will fit your mouth comfortably and might feel very bulky, but are available in most of the supermarkets in London and are pretty cheap too. The boil and bite types give a much better fitting. They can be fitted to your teeth as they are made of thermoplastic and can be moulded when hot with fingers and gives better protection for the teeth. Custom-made ones are the best variety of mouth guards. These are specially made for you according to the imprint of your teeth taken by your dentist and moulded as per your specifications. These are a bit costlier than the other types. This mouthguard is manufactured by your dentist’s lab professionals. The first ever mouth guard was made by a British dentist for boxers to protect their teeth, which was later modified by a Canadian paediatric dentist. Apart from the use as guards, they are useful as splints for treating bruxism and temporomandibular joint disorders. They are widely used in some chemical treatments such as bleaching or teeth whitening also. Mouth guards help us avoid chipping or breakage of teeth, and even loss of teeth. During sports activities in schools and playgrounds, it has become mandatory to use mouth guards as these can be worn by both adults and children. We can use it even while we are wearing braces or brackets, which are also protected from breakage. We must clean the mouthguard regularly with cold water and check it for wear and tear. Before and after use, it should be brushed using toothpaste and toothbrush, and rinsed with mouthwash or water. It can be preserved in porous containers and kept in cool places. We should avoid exposing them to high temperatures and direct sunlight. They also need occasional cleaning with soap and water. When we visit our dentist, we have to take our mouth guard without fail to get it checked regularly by our dentist, so that if there is any general wear or holes, it can be replaced.