Mouth guards are coverings worn over teeth, and often used to protect teeth from injury during sports. An effective mouth guard should be comfortable, resist tears, be durable and easy to clean, and should not restrict your breathing or speech. Mouth guards should be used by anyone – both children and adults – who play contact sports such as football, boxing, soccer, ice hockey, basketball, lacrosse, and field hockey. However, even those participating in no contact sports (for example, gymnastics) and any recreational activity (for example, skateboarding, mountain biking) may want to use mouth guards for their safety.