Today’s Impression Techniques and Fabrication of Mouthguards

When it comes to protecting athletes at all levels—from youth leagues to the professional arena—custom mouthguards remain a cornerstone of preventive sports dentistry. However, what’s evolving rapidly is how we take impressions and fabricate these essential pieces of protective gear.

From Putty to Precision: Modern Impression Techniques

For decades, alginate impressions were the go-to method for capturing dental anatomy before mouthguard fabrication. While still widely used due to accuracy, affordability, and ease of use, traditional impressions present challenges—limited dimensional stability, messiness, and patient discomfort.

Enter digital intraoral scanning. Today’s digital impression systems offer a highly accurate, mess-free, and efficient alternative. Scanners such as iTero, 3Shape TRIOS, and Medit provide high-resolution images that can be immediately reviewed and refined, reducing remakes and errors. For the sports dentist, digital scanning not only speeds up the workflow but also enhances the athlete’s experience—no more trays and goo!

Benefits of digital impressions include:

Improved patient comfort
Greater accuracy and detail
Portability–less gear bringsbring to the impression site
Faster turnaround for mouthguard production
Easier long-term storage and retrieval of digital files

Fabrication: Customization is Key

Once impressions are captured—digitally or traditionally—the next step is fabrication. Custom mouthguards, unlike boil-and-bite or stock options, are tailored to the athlete’s specific dental anatomy, providing a superior fit and comfortandcomfort as well as the athlete’s specific needs andneedsand level of protection.

There are now two primary methods for custom mouthguard fabrication:

Vacuum-Formed Mouthguards:
This method uses a thermoplastic sheet heated and vacuum-formed over a model of the athlete’s teeth. These guards are lightweight, thin, and ideal for non-contact or low-contact sports. Their snug fit allows athletes to speak and breathe easily.
Pressure-Laminated Mouthguards:
For high-impact sports like football, hockey, or boxing, multilayer pressure-laminated mouthguards are preferred. These guards are fabricated using heat and high pressure, layering multiple sheets of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) material. The result is a more durable, shock-absorbing mouthguard with the option to embed team logos, names, and colors for easy identification and style.

The Digital Future of Sports Dentistry

Digital impression and fabrication techniques are not just about efficiency—they’re about enhancing athlete safety and satisfaction. The ability to quickly scan, design, and fabricate mouthguards that meet both sport-specific and individual requirements represents a significant leap forward in the field.

As members of the Academy for Sports Dentistry, we are committed to staying on the cutting edge. By embracing today’s technologies, we continue to elevate the standard of care we provide, on and off the field.

Interested in learning more?
Join us at the next ASD Annual Symposium to experience live demonstrations of digital impression systems and hands-on fabrication sessions with experts in the field.