Many young Australians are beginning their winter sports season, gearing up for sports such as football, hockey and rugby. Apart from the training sessions, weekend games and oranges at half-time, these contact sports also involve mouthguards.

Mouthguards protect the teeth, gums and jaw from serious injury. But while most parents and coaches insist kids wear them, far fewer think about what happens after the game – and whether mouthguards get cleaned properly.

Our research suggests poor mouthguard care can lead to bacterial buildup and potential health risks.

We studied mouthguards used by under-12s Australian rules football players. This involved ten players who regularly used mouthguards in training and for matches.

We collected samples immediately before a training session. We collected samples from the mouthguard surface and the storage case.

Using advanced microscopic imaging to look at surfaces in very high detail and to map their shape, we examined how the mouthguard surface had changed and how bacteria attached to it.

From this, we could assess........

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