The Best Mouthguard for Kids With Braces: What Parents Need to Know

Your kid just got braces, and the season starts next week. Now you're wondering if their old mouthguard still works or if they need something new. Here's the good news: kids with braces can keep playing every sport they love. They just need a guard that's made to work with braces.

Below, you'll find what to look for in a mouthguard for kids with braces, how the options compare, how to fit one over brackets, and when to remold it as their teeth move.

Can You Wear a Mouthguard With Braces? Yes, and Here's Why It Matters

Yes. Kids with braces can and should wear a mouthguard for contact sports. Braces add brackets and wires inside the mouth, and a good guard puts a smooth layer between that metal and your kid's lips and cheeks.

The key is the fit. Teeth with braces have more bumps, and they keep moving all through treatment. That's why the right guard has to work with braces, not just fit over them once.

What Makes a Mouthguard Safe for Braces

Not every guard is built for brackets and wires. Before you buy, look for these five things:

• It forms around the brackets: The guard shapes itself around the braces without being pressed hard against them.

• It covers the top teeth: Front to back, with no gaps along the sides.

• It's remoldable: Teeth move during treatment, so the guard should be able to move with them.

• It's thin enough to talk and breathe in: If it's bulky, your kid will pull it out.

• It stays put without clenching: A loose guard ends up chewed, lost, or left on the bench.

Goon Guard is braces-compatible and remoldable as teeth shift. It has a thin, low-profile design, so kids can talk, breathe, and hydrate without taking it out. It's also dentist-designed and approved, developed with Dr. Monroe Elkin, a leader in sports dentistry.

Mouthguards for Kids With Braces, Compared Side by Side

There are four main types of mouthguards you'll come across. Here's how each one works for kids with braces.

For growing kids in braces, a guard that keeps up with every adjustment saves a lot of hassle. That's where a remoldable, microwave-mold guard really shines.

How to Fit a Sports Mouthguard for Braces

Fitting a Goon Guard over braces takes three simple steps, with one small change from the usual fit:

1. Microwave the guard to soften it.

2. Bite down gently. Don't press it against the braces. The SmartForm™ material forms around the brackets and wires on its own.

3. Let it cool. The patented material shrinks as it cools and locks onto the teeth.

No dentist visit. No boiling. No impressions. No wait. Our step-by-step SmartForm fitting guide walks you through the timing and every detail.

Strapped or Strapless? Match the Guard to Your Kid's Sport

Both styles fit over braces the same way. The only real choice is the strap, and your kid's sport makes that an easy call.

Go Strapped for Helmet Sports

For football and hockey, pick the Goon Guard Strapped 2-Pack. The strap clips to the face mask, so the guard comes home in the bag instead of staying under the bench.

Go Strapless for Everything Else

For wrestling, basketball, BJJ, field hockey, and lacrosse where it's allowed, the Goon Guard Strapless 2-Pack keeps things simple, with nothing outside the mouth.

Not sure which one your league allows? Check with the coach before you buy.

When to Remold Your Kid's Mouthguard

Braces move teeth. That's the whole point. The good news is that the guard can keep up. Just repeat the same fitting steps at any of these moments:

• After a braces adjustment or a new wire

• When the guard starts to feel loose or too tight

• When a baby tooth falls out, or a new one comes in

• When the braces come off

That last one is easy to forget. Once the braces are off, remold the guard to fit your kid's new smile.

Quick Tips for Parents of Athletes in Braces

A few small habits make game day easier for everyone. Here's what helps most:

• Keep the spare handy: Every Goon Guard comes as a two-pack with a case, so there's always a backup in the bag.

• Clean it after every use: A quick rinse plus Goon Guard Mouthguard Cleaner keeps it fresh between practices.

• Store it in the case: Keep it away from heat, like a hot car, so it holds its shape.

• Use your HSA or FSA: Goon Guard is HSA/FSA eligible, which helps when you're already paying for braces.

Get those basics right, and the mouthguard becomes one less thing to worry about during braces.

FAQs

Can you wear a mouthguard with braces?

Yes. Pick one that's braces-compatible and remoldable, like Goon Guard, so it fits around the brackets and keeps up as teeth move.

Can my kid use a regular boil-and-bite guard with braces?

Only if it's made for braces. Check the packaging, and ask your kid's orthodontist if you're not sure.

Do we need a new mouthguard after every braces adjustment?

No. With Goon Guard, just remold it after the adjustment.

What's the best mouthguard for kids with braces?

One that's braces-compatible, remoldable, and stays put without clenching. With Goon Guard, there's no better-fitting mouthguard in the world at this price.

My kid is getting braces soon. Should I wait to buy a mouthguard?

No need to wait. Fit it now, then remold it once the braces go on.

Keep Your Kid in the Game Through Braces With Goon Guard

Braces don't have to slow your kid down. The right mouthguard for kids with braces forms around the brackets, stays put without clenching, and keeps up as teeth move, from the first adjustment to the day the braces come off.

Goon Guard makes that easy. It's braces-compatible and remoldable as teeth shift, and it molds in seconds at home.

Ready to get your athlete set for the season? Shop our mouthguards for braces collection.