Sartaj Singh
The season 16 premiere of ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ saw Matthew Hall and Victor Adamo introduce the world to a groundbreaking custom-fit mouthguard — TruFit Customs. Addressing an archaic practice prevalent in the world of professional sports, the company creates slimmer and better-fitting mouthguards for athletes that promise to boost performance with none of the poor communication downsides that come with bulkier industry standards. The founders seemed to have discovered a profitable niche to fill in the sports industry, tempting many with their significant growth prospects.
TruFit Customs: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
Established by Matthew Hall and Victor Adamo, TruFit Customs promises to revolutionize customized sports products with advanced 3D technology, starting with dental products such as mouthguards. Hall has a background in psychology and pre-medical studies, with experience in computer-aided design. Adamo is a former junior hockey goaltender from Ontario with an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. The two studied together at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, and in 2019, they established TruFit Customs in the same state.
TruFit’s main products are their custom-made mouthguards, which are convenient and cost-efficient for anyone to order. Being sports fans, and in the case of Adamo, a player himself, the founders realized that an archaic procedure to create custom mouthguards was still being carried out as common practice, even at the highest level. The lengthy process would require the team dentist to take the dental impressions of each player before making molds. The molds would then be used to make mouthguards, which began to fit well after they had been worn in by the athlete. In the case of TruFit’s mouthguards, they take a dental scan of the customer, forgoing the cost of making the mold, and make cutting-edge mouthguards that come with shock absorbers.
For many experienced users, the most astonishing part of the product is that it fits about as well as a worn-in mouth guard, which is to say perfectly well. Additionally, once a scan has been taken, it is saved to the cloud and does not have to be taken again as long as there are no changes to one’s dental structure. In the case of standard mouthguards, impressions need to be taken every time a new custom mouthguard has to be made. Hall started off making the mouthguards in his studio apartment in the early stages, focused on developing a mouthpiece that would not present the same issues as the run-of-the-mill boxy mouthguards.
TruFit Customs focused on marketing to athletes, approaching the top teams in professional sports to set themselves up as the industry’s gold standard for custom-made mouthguards. That isn’t to say their products aren’t for the majority or even for non-athletes. Customers are sent a kit to take their impressions, which they then mail back. The company then scans, designs, and manufactures the product. Once scans are taken, any number and variety of mouthguards can be ordered, making it simpler to gain repeat customers over the years. Before appearing on ‘Shark Tank,’ TruFit Customs had already raised $750,000 in angel capital and purchased a large manufacturing facility. Inspired by the modern production process of motor vehicles, the founders have eliminated the extensive use of skilled labor required in the process in favor of an assembly line.
TruFit Customs: Where Are They Now?
TruFit Customs has been quite successful in creating a cutting-edge product and marketing it to top sports teams over the five years since its establishment. Around half of the NFL teams are supplied by TruFit Customs for their mouthguard needs, and players frequently praise the product. The company gained traction within the league when Matthew Hall met with the Professional Football Athletic Training Society in 2023 and gained the Arizona Cardinals as their first clients. Since then, 16 of the 32 NFL teams have been supplied by the California-based company to some degree.
The sports mouthguards are priced at $125, with a first-time discount bringing the price down to $95. The Vaporbite mouthpiece is meant to maximize performance with increased oxygen intake and is priced the same as the sports mouthguards. The Nightguard is a mouthpiece meant to prevent grinding and clenching of teeth while sleeping. Compared to the typical cost charged by a dentist, ranging between $500 and $1500, the mouthpiece is priced at $95. Apart from dental products, the company is working on introducing custom-fit insoles, another product sure to improve performance and comfort for athletes and casual customers alike. They also sell branded merch like hats and beanies ranging from $10 to $15. Among other miscellaneous items, their shop lists extra material for $10, an extra mouthguard case for $8, a small cleaning spray for $8, and a larger one for $15.
The custom insoles are in the final stages of development and are being tested in the 2024 NFL season. The Los Angeles Rams are the latest NFL team to partner with TruFit Customs, with the company making branded mouthguards for the team and its fans. The shock-absorbing mouthguards are also finding success in the NHL, UFC, PLL, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. With a cost-effective, slimmer, and better-fitting product spreading like wildfire across the world of professional sports, TruFit Customs is paving the way to greater heights with new creations and an expanded production setup.
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