We read with interest the recent article on ‘Incidence of maxillofacial trauma related to kickboxing and the efficacy of protective equipment'.1 We recently had the opportunity to provide custom mouthguards to two professional basketball players of the Indian national team, and our experience highlighted a significant gap in awareness regarding oral protection in contact sports. The players relied on boil-and-bite mouthguards previously, which they found bulky, lacking proper retention, unaesthetic, and often interfering with clear communication on the court - an essential aspect of their game.

Having understood their previous experience and their expectations, we provided them with custom-made clear mouthguards through a fully digital workflow using intraoral scanning. We fabricated triple-layered mouth guards on 3D-printed models, ensuring an optimal fit and superior protection. These guards, with a standard thickness of 5 mm, offered enhanced comfort, better retention, and customisation options, including players' names and aesthetic design options (Fig. 1). Additionally, the digital archive of scan files and 3D-printed models allowed players to reorder replacements seamlessly if needed.

Fig. 1
figure 1

a) Customised mouth guard. b) Clear mouth guard placed intraorally

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This experience underscores the limited awareness among professional athletes regarding the availability and benefits of custom sports guards.2,3 Given their role in injury prevention, it is crucial to introduce education about custom mouthguards at the school level to instil better habits early on.

We hope this insight encourages further awareness and the adoption of custom sports guards among athletes for enhanced safety and performance.