Mouthguard Day

Mouthguard Day, observed on September 7, highlights the important role mouthguards play in protecting smiles during sports and physical activities. These simple, resilient devices help cushion impacts, safeguard teeth and gums, and reduce the risk of mouth injuries—especially in contact sports and activities where falls or collisions can occur.

The day is a friendly reminder for athletes, parents, coaches, and recreational players to take oral safety seriously. It’s a great time to check that a mouthguard fits comfortably, is in good condition, and is used consistently when appropriate. By pairing enthusiasm for play with smart protection, Mouthguard Day encourages everyone to keep smiling while staying active.

Mouthguard Day is observed on **September 7** as an awareness observance highlighting the protective role of mouthguards in sports and other activities that may involve impacts to the face or jaw. Its precise founder and original proclamation are not widely documented in authoritative historical records, so the observance is best understood as part of broader public-education efforts led by dental, athletic, and safety organizations rather than as a holiday with a clearly recorded founding event.

The history behind the day reaches back to the development of protective equipment for athletes. Early mouth protectors were associated particularly with boxing. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, dental professionals and others involved in boxing experimented with materials that could cushion blows to the teeth and mouth. London dentist Woolf Krause is often credited with developing an early boxing mouthguard in the 1890s, while his son, Philip Krause, helped refine and promote the concept in the 1920s. These early devices were generally intended for short-term use and were far less comfortable and precise than modern guards.

Over time, mouthguards spread beyond boxing to sports such as football, hockey, basketball, lacrosse, wrestling, and martial arts. Advances in dental materials led from relatively simple rubber or thermoplastic designs to custom-fitted guards made by dental professionals. Public-health messaging also evolved: mouthguards came to be viewed not only as equipment for elite or high-contact athletes, but as a practical way to reduce the risk of broken teeth, cuts to the lips and cheeks, and certain sports-related oral injuries among children and recreational participants.

The cultural significance of Mouthguard Day lies in making prevention more visible. Observed on **September 7**, it encourages athletes, parents, coaches, schools, and dental professionals to discuss choosing, wearing, cleaning, and replacing mouthguards. It also reflects a broader change in sports culture—from accepting dental injuries as an inevitable part of competition toward treating protective equipment as a normal component of responsible participation. Although the day’s specific institutional beginnings remain unclear, its continuing purpose is consistent with the long medical and sporting history of protecting the mouth from avoidable injury.