On a daily basis in Leeds, we put ourselves a risk without even knowing it, yet when we choose to do something risky, like sports, we like to cover ourselves for the risks involved as much as we can. This involves wearing some form of protection to limit the risk of injury, and with contact sports, this should also extend to the wearing of a mouth-guard. The head and neck are very fragile areas of the body and by wearing some form of gum-shield, it can limit the damage to these places. Generally, there are three types of protection you can buy: over-the-shelf/ fit all types, ones which you place in warm water then mould them to your mouth and then bespoke ones that are tailored to you and your sport- these are probably the best because they lessen the forces going through your mouth. Most people would assume that a mouth-guard just protects the teeth and gums….not so. It is designed to protect your jaws too as with contact sports the jaws can take a bit of a battering. If this is protected, it stops further damage going up through the head and then down into the neck and upper back. You can ask your dentist for advice about mouth-guards and between the two of you, you should be able to come up with the best form of protection.