The honest answer from science – and why the design of a mouthguard is still so crucial.
The Guard – Trusted Knowledge on Sports Protection
A question that comes up again and again
Whether in ice hockey, floorball, rugby, American football, or other contact sports – anywhere where high speeds, intense physical duels, and hard collisions are part of the game, the same question arises:
Can a mouthguard prevent a concussion?
The honest answer is: According to the current state of scientific knowledge, there is no definitive proof of this.
However, a critical distinction must be made:
"Not definitively proven" does not automatically mean "no effect."
Because if we cannot definitively say that a mouthguard prevents a concussion, another equally important question arises:
How does a mouthguard handle the forces generated during an impact?
What happens during a concussion?
A concussion occurs when the head is rapidly accelerated, decelerated, or twisted in a very short period of time. The brain moves within the skull and is subjected to the resulting acceleration and rotational forces.
Whether a concussion results from this depends on many factors: the strength and direction of the impact, the rotational movement of the head, and the athlete's individual physical condition.
That is why a concussion cannot be reduced to a single influencing factor or a specific threshold value.
What does science say?
Scientific research has been studying the potential role of mouthguards in concussions for years. To date, there is no definitive scientific consensus that a mouthguard can prevent a concussion.
However, this does not mean that a mouthguard cannot have an impact on the loads experienced during an impact.
Recent studies have provided interesting insights on this matter. In a 2025 study published with soccer players, the measured maximum linear head acceleration during standardized headers was significantly lower with a custom-fitted mouthguard than without a mouthguard (Pitteu et al., 2025).
Whether such a reduction is sufficient in a specific case to prevent a concussion cannot be derived from this. A concussion is too complex to be defined solely by a single measured value.
However, another point is critical for us:
If a protective system can help reduce the loads experienced during an impact, that is already a relevant advantage – even if it cannot be concluded from this that a concussion will be prevented.
What is also well-documented is the protective effect of a mouthguard for the teeth and mouth area. It can reduce the risk of dental injuries as well as injuries to the lips, cheeks, and tongue, which is why it is part of personal protective equipment in many contact sports.
Why the design is still important
Every impact generates forces. These forces do not disappear – they are absorbed, distributed, and transmitted.
From a technical perspective, a critical question therefore arises:
How can these forces be absorbed and distributed as controlled as possible?
We have been working on exactly this question for years when developing our mouthguards.
It quickly became clear that material thickness alone cannot be the only solution. The fit, the internal structure of the mouthguard, and the surface area over which the generated forces are distributed are also equally critical.
Precise fit as the foundation
A mouthguard can only perform its task optimally if it fits precisely on the teeth.
Gaps between the tooth and the mouthguard allow movement during an impact. A precise fit, however, creates a direct connection between the mouthguard and the teeth, thus forming the foundation for the most controlled possible force transfer.
That is why we manufacture our mouthguards individually based on a highly precise 3D scan. The mouthguard lies seamlessly against the tooth surfaces and into the interdental spaces.
This fit not only ensures a secure hold and high wearing comfort – it is a central component of our protective concept.
Controlled energy absorption
In many technical protective systems, the goal is not to completely stop energy. Rather, what matters is how it is absorbed and distributed.
A well-known example is the crumple zone of a car. It does not prevent the impact. Rather, its design was developed to controlledly absorb a portion of the generated energy.
This core principle also influenced our development.
The internal Honeycomb Structure of our mouthguards was developed to controlledly absorb and distribute impact energy.
The honeycomb structure creates areas within the mouthguard that can deform under load. This is intended to absorb a portion of the generated energy within the structure, rather than transmitting it as directly as possible.
Distribute forces across multiple teeth
In addition to energy absorption, the distribution of forces also plays a critical role.
If a high force acts on a small surface area, this creates a high local load. If, however, the same force can be distributed across a larger surface area and multiple teeth, the load per unit area is reduced.
That is why the seamless fit is so important for our concept: it allows multiple teeth to be included in the force distribution.
The larger the surface area over which a force can be distributed, the lower the local load can be.
Interdental spaces vs. seamless fit: While conventional mouthguards can leave areas between the teeth unprotected, Swiss3DGuards fills the interdental spaces and was designed to distribute the generated forces across a larger surface area.
Three principles – one shared goal
The development of our mouthguards is therefore not based on a single feature. It combines three design principles that arose directly from the problem areas described earlier:
Gap-Free Fit™
A seamless fit between the mouthguard and the teeth creates the prerequisite for introducing the generated forces as directly and controlled as possible into the entire structure.
Honeycomb Shock-Absorption Technology™
The internal honeycomb structure was developed to controlledly absorb and distribute impact energy.
Impact Force Distribution™
The precise fit and large-area support were developed to not concentrate the generated forces on a single tooth, but rather to distribute them across as many teeth as possible.
Fit, energy absorption, and force distribution together form the design protective concept of our mouthguards.
Conclusion
According to the current state of scientific knowledge, it is not definitively proven that a mouthguard can prevent a concussion. However, studies show that custom-fitted mouthguards can reduce measured head acceleration under certain conditions.
Our development therefore focuses on three core principles: seamless fit, controlled absorption of impact energy, and large-area force distribution across multiple teeth.
Our goal is clear: To absorb and distribute the forces generated during an impact as controlled as possible, and to reduce the resulting load as much as technically feasible.
The Guard
Trusted Knowledge on Sports Protection
We want to share knowledge, not spread myths. That is why we focus in The Guardon questions that athletes, coaches, and professionals actually grapple with – scientifically sound, clearly explained, and tied to the experiences from our daily work in sports.
Source
Pitteu, C., Lepère, P., Poisson, P., Guillaud, E., Doat, E., Glize, B., Dehail, P., & Cassoudesalle, H. (2025). A custom-made mouthguard reduces head acceleration during soccer heading and prevents acute electrophysiological and cognitive changes in amateur male players. EBioMedicine, 115, 105674.
