Dr. Monroe Elkin on Mouthguards, Braces, and Preventing Sports Injuries
An Exclusive Interview with Dr. Monroe Elkin, Retired Dentist and Co-Inventor of the Goon Guard mouth guard
Click Here to Shop Goon Guard mouthguards
If your child wears braces and plays sports, a one-size-fits-all mouthguard won’t cut it. In fact, using the wrong mouth guard can do more harm than good.
That’s why we sat down with Dr. Monroe Elkin, a retired dentist with decades of experience treating sports injuries and co-inventor of the Goon Guard™ mouthguard. In this exclusive interview, Dr. Elkin shares why athletes with braces are at higher risk for injury, how most mouthguards fall short, and what makes Goon Guard the go-to choice for safe, braces-friendly protection.
Dr. Monroe Elkin on Braces, Mouthguards, and Sports Injuries
Video Highlights
- 0:08 – What are the risks to athletes with braces
- 1:17 – Dangers of not wearing a custom fitted mouthguard with braces
- 1:54 – How to fit the mouth guard with braces
- 3:35 – How should the mouth guard feel after fitting with braces
- 4:10 – The fit gets better over time
Meet Dr. Monroe Elkin: Dentist, Inventor, and Mouthguard Expert
Dr. Elkin spent over 35 years in private practice—and he’s seen it all. One thing he never forgot? The number of preventable injuries that happened because athletes didn’t have the right protection.
“I’ve seen teeth knocked out, braces ripped off, lips split wide open—and all of it could’ve been avoided with a better mouthguard.” — Dr. Monroe Elkin
That’s why he helped create Goon Guard: a mouthguard for braces that’s designed from the ground up to protect athletes without compromising fit, breathability, or comfort.
The Problem with Regular Mouthguards for Braces
Boil-and-bite mouthguards may work for some, but they’re not made for athletes with braces.
“If that material gets wrapped around brackets, you're in big trouble. That’s what I was worried about when I first fit one of my patients. But the Goon Guard material didn’t stick—and the fit was perfect.” — Dr. Monroe Elkin
Traditional mouthguards can:
- Stick to brackets
- Dislodge during contact
- Cause injuries instead of preventing them
What Makes Goon Guard the Best Mouth guard for Braces?
Dr. Elkin helped design Goon Guard using a patented material called SmartForm™, which offers:
- Bracket-safe fitting – No suction, no sticking
- Even impact distribution – Reduces pressure on individual teeth
- Remoldability – Perfect for after orthodontic adjustments
- Comfortable fit – No extreme biting or sucking required
- Better breathability and communication on the field
- Backed by science – It’s the only braces mouthguard accepted by the American Dental Association (ADA)
“After two minutes, it fits. The next day? Even better. The material keeps adapting to your mouth.” — Dr. Elkin
What You’ll Learn in This Interview
Dr. Elkin explains:
- Why athletes with braces are more likely to suffer oral injuries
- How boil-and-bite guards can cause more harm than good
- What to look for in a mouth guard for braces
- How Goon Guard is different—and why it works
- The importance of proper fit, especially during orthodontic treatment
Expert Quotes from Dr. Monroe Elkin
“The real danger is when a mouth guard moves during contact—that’s when brackets snap or wires cut the inside of the mouth.”
“I’ve seen kids with stitches in their lips. That’s what happens when you play without the right gear.”
“Even after the braces come off, the same mouthguard can be refit. That’s value.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Braces Mouth guards
Can a mouth guard damage braces?
Yes. Most regular mouth guards—especially boil-and-bite models—can stick to brackets, dislodge them, or increase the force of an impact. That’s why athletes with braces need a specialized, non-suction design like Goon Guard.
What makes Goon Guard safe for braces?
It uses SmartForm™, a unique material that forms gently around brackets without suction. It protects evenly across the mouth and stays in place without biting down or sucking in.
How do you fit a Goon Guard for braces?
Just microwave it wrapped in a wet paper towel for 30 seconds, cool briefly, then place it in the mouth and close lightly. That’s it. No biting. No suction. The fit actually improves overnight.
Click Here for Fitting Instructions (with video)
Final Thoughts: What Dr. Elkin Wants Every Parent to Know
As a dentist and a parent, Dr. Elkin has seen what happens when athletes take the field unprotected—and he doesn’t want your child to be the next ER case.
“I made my own kids wear a mouthguard—not because I invented one, but because I’ve seen what happens when you don’t.” — Dr. Monroe Elkin
Protect Your Athlete's Smile Today
Whether your child plays football, basketball, baseball, or wrestling, don’t settle for a generic guard. Choose the only mouth guard for braces backed by a dentist who’s seen the worst—and built something better.
Read Full Transcript Below
This is the best mouth guard. For any athlete with braces. Athletes who have braces that don't wear an athletic mouth guard. The consequences could be pretty severe. They could end up with even with the braces, they could end up with a tooth getting knocked out the braces getting. Dislodged, they. End up cutting their lip, biting their tongue and some of those could be serious injuries that would require. Stitches sutures to repair. If you're wearing an athletic mouth guard, you don't have those sharp edges to cause that problem, and you also have something that can absorb some of the impact and disperse it instead of. Having the impact in one particular tooth, the mouth guard disperses the forces throughout the whole mouth guard, which basically lessens the impact. And when you have athletes with braces who are not wearing a custom fit. And the consequences could be even more severe, because that mouth guard is going to move around in the mouth when they get hit, when they have contact. If it's in place and custom. Like I said before, you get the forces dissipated and the chances of a severe injury are greatly minimized as opposed to a a mouth guard that is not custom fit. Sitting the mouth, our mouth guard with somebody who is having orthodontics done is actually much easier in that when you put the mouth guard in, all you do is lightly close. You don't do anything else, you don't try to manipulate it to form it. You don't suck on it. You just sit there for 2 minutes and you're done. I I got a little anecdote. When I when we first started with this product, I had a patient in my office who was having orthodontics done and I was literally sweating when I fitted the mouth guard because I thought, well, if this material gets wrapped around these brackets, I'm in big trouble. So before I actually fit it, I called doctor rabeony and I said now you've assured me that this material will not get stuck around the brackets. And he said it won't. And so I went ahead and I fit it. And lo and behold, it didn't. And. The patient ended up with being able to open their mouths. The mouth guard stayed in with their braces, and the interesting thing was, is that once their orthodontic treatment was done. All they did was put the mouth guard back in the microwave and refit it, and they had a mouth guard that they could use after they were finished with all their orthodontics. After the 2 minutes that an athlete with orthodontic braces has fit the mouth guard, it'll it'll feel comfortable. They'll be able to talk. They'll be able to breathe. If you take the mascara out, what? You'll see you won't see teeth like you would. If you took an impression, but what you will see is little indentations where the brackets are. And that that just keeps it in the material is so unique that it continues to form for about 24 hours. So the next day when they put the mouth guard in, it's actually going to feel better than after they initially fitted. Because the fits going to be more exact to what is in their mouths.