Many Rockingham sporting clubs require participants to wear mouthguards whilst playing and training.

Anyone who participates in a sport that carries a risk of contact to the face should wear a mouthguard. This includes obvious sports such as football, boxing and rugby, and also collision sports where unexpected contact often happens, such as basketball, hockey, water polo, lacrosse, netball, baseball, softball, squash, soccer, BMX bike riding, horse riding, skateboarding, in-line skating, trampolining, cricket (wicket keeping or batting without a helmet), water skiing and snow ski racing.

A mouthguard helps absorb the shock experienced by a blow to the face, which might otherwise result in an injury to the mouth or jaw. A heavy collision can result in chipped or broken teeth, internal damage to a tooth, tooth loss, injuries to the soft tissue of the mouth, and, in severe cases, concussion or a broken jaw. Injuries like these can lead to long and potentially expensive treatment to restore teeth and the mouth back to normal function and appearance.

The Australian Dental Association (ADA) recommends that only a professionally custom-fitted mouthguard should be worn. Keep your mouthguard clean and store it in a rigid container, away from heat to ensure it maintains its shape, and check your mouthguard every twelve months for optimal fit and protection.

Excessive clenching or grinding of teeth that is not part of normal chewing is known as bruxism. This is a condition that can lead to accelerated wear on teeth and may cause permanent damage to both the teeth and jaw. A combination of both physical and psychological factors contributes to bruxism. The condition is often treated with an occlusal splint or night guard, which is a custom-made acrylic removable appliance designed to carefully fit over the upper or lower teeth.