If you look at the mouth guards on the market today, you’ll see that they give the most protection to the upper teeth and gum line. The thickness and materials vary inevitably from ...
A warrior’s look at the mouth guards on the market today… If you look at the mouth guards on the market today, you’ll see that they give the most protection to the upper teeth and gum line. The thickness and materials vary inevitably from brand to brand, but the purpose of mouth protectors remains the same – to prevent the teeth from damaging each other when the jaw or mouth is struck. A good mouth guard is also designed to spread the effects of a blow to reduce damage to the point of impact.. So what exactly happens when you are struck? All blows send a shockwave through the body, spreading out from the point of impact. If you take a direct strike to the mouth, there’s a good chance of a tooth being dislodged or chipped. This can also happen through a strike to the lower jaw, that causes the teeth to grind against each other – this can, again, break or chip a tooth. Finally, if you are struck very hard – for example, to the jaw, you can end up with a fracture of the jaw itself. Or, if you are struck hard in the head, you might end with a concussion, if the shock wave reaches the brain. Mouth guards are designed to absorb part of the shock of such blows, and to spread to force of a strike so as to prevent damage. The cushioning effect of the mouth guard prevents the teeth from damaging each other. So you see that a mouth guard doesn’t only prevent damage to the teeth, as some people think, but also can prevent jaw fractures, concussions, and much more. Types of mouthguards Now, there are two categories of mouthguards – the ones that guard against light impacts, and the ones designed to counter heavy blows. Generally speaking, if you’re in a combat sport, then you need the heavy variety. If you’re into a non-combat sport, a light mouthguard will be fine. Most people don’t really know how to use a mouthguard. You have to make sure you bite on the guard just before a heavy blow – the guard is not really as effective as a shock absorber if your jaw is hanging loose. Also, keeping the teeth tight on the mouthguard turns the head into a single unit, which in its turn tends to limit damage. Always use mouthguards designed for your combat sport The best mouthguards to use for combat sports are those designed FOR that particular combat sport. If you’re doing Muay Thai, go for mouthguards that are specialized for Muay Thai. Most combat mouthguards are heavily layered to better absorb heavy blows. Blitz has a good line in mouthguards, and so do Ronin, Top King and FBT. Custom Mouthguards vs. Boil-and-bite The nice thing about boil-and-bite mouthguards is that they are cheap, and they work reasonably well. But they’re not half as safe as a custom job. With a custom mouthguard, the company concerned will send you an impression kit with which you can make an impression of your teeth. You’ll then send this impression to the company, and they will construct your customized mouthguard and send it back to you. This sort of custom guard fits your mouth and teeth perfectly – it rarely shifts during training, or under the impact of blows, and it provides the highest possible level of protection. The boil-and-bite guards, on the other hand, are much cheaper than the custom jobs – you boil them, and bite down on them with your teeth, and this forms a reasonable impression of your jaw. These guards do work reasonably well, and are great value for the price they cost. By all means go in for them if you can’t afford the more expensive custom jobs. Best of all, with the boil-and-bite guards, you can be good to go in as little as ten minutes, whereas it can take a week to get a customized mouthguard.