FAQ
The questions we get asked
Including the uncomfortable ones.
Do you have a working prototype?
No. We are at the material selection stage. Nothing has been moulded, and we would rather say that plainly than show a render and let people assume otherwise.
Is BioShield Athletics a real company?
Not yet. It is not incorporated and has nothing for sale. It is a student venture founded by Brown University students and currently in research.
Is the mouthguard biodegradable?
No, and this is the question we most want to answer honestly. Our lead material is bio-based EVA, which is chemically identical to conventional EVA. It is made from sugarcane rather than crude oil, which changes its carbon footprint substantially, but it does not break down in the environment. Anyone telling you a high-performance mouthguard composts is describing a product that does not exist yet.
Can you prove it protects teeth?
No, because we have not built one to test. The injury-prevention figures on this site come from the American Dental Association and describe mouthguards as a category, not a BioShield product. We will not make a protection claim about our own product without our own test data.
How is this different from mouthguards already sold as eco-friendly?
Most products marketed that way change the packaging, the case, or a small share of the material. We are trying to change the polymer itself and to publish the numbers either way. If we find that we cannot do it at a competitive cost, we will say so.
What will it cost?
We do not know. Bio-based EVA currently costs more per kilogram than fossil EVA, and a mouthguard uses very little material, so the finished price difference may be small — but we have no manufacturing quote yet, and quoting a price without one would be a guess.
Who would manufacture it?
Undecided. One reason bio-based EVA is our lead candidate is that it is a drop-in replacement: an existing thermoforming manufacturer can run it without new machinery. That widens the pool considerably.
When can I buy one?
There is no date, and we are not taking pre-orders or payment. The waitlist is for progress updates only.
What happens next?
Finish the material screen, get a manufacturing quote, and produce a first physical prototype. If you join the waitlist, that is what you will hear about.
Are you affiliated with Brown University?
We are Brown University students, and BioShield Athletics is an independent student project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the university.
Watch us try
We send an update when something actually happens — a material decision, a first mould, a test result, or a failure worth writing up. No schedule, no marketing.