Mouthguard for teeth (including for boxing): how to choose, cook, prepare, put on and wear correctly

What types of mouth guards are there?

Since this dental accessory is used not only in boxing, you can find mouth guards for different sports on sale. Therefore, before purchasing, you need to make sure of the intended purpose of the product. Conventionally, protection for teeth can be divided according to several criteria.

By purpose

According to the purpose of the mouthguards there are:

Designed to protect the teeth of the upper jaw.
Designed for both jaws (equipped with a special hole through which the athlete can breathe).

By material

Thermoplastic mouth guard
There are three types of boxing mouth guards for teeth:

Hard standard (for those with perfectly straight teeth).
Thermoplastic.
Rigid, made according to an individual cast.

The best and most affordable material is thermoplastic. Thermoplastic aligners soften under the influence of hot water and then quickly cool, “remembering” the shape of the teeth. The main thing is to choose a product that is suitable in size.

By size and thickness

Choosing the size of a mouthguard to protect your teeth and mouth must be very careful. In Moscow you can buy mouth guards of different sizes and thicknesses. A product that is the right size can be perfectly adjusted to fit your teeth; a size that is too large will not allow the item to stay in the mouth, and an accessory that is too small will cause discomfort and pain in the teeth.

It is better to give preference to mouthguards of medium thickness: a thick one will feel strongly in the mouth, and a thin one will not be able to provide the proper degree of protection for teeth and gums.

By color

There are mouthguards for adults and children, in different colors and with different tastes. The most popular protective accessories are mint flavored.

As a natural antiseptic, mint provides additional protection against bacteria, and as a natural deodorant, it provides a feeling of freshness.

Inexpensive models

Inexpensive models of protective plates can be found in almost any sports store. They are characterized by low cost and average reliability. Considered the best option for amateur training.

Ray sport

Inexpensive thermoplastic single-jaw insert, which is designed for adult athletes over 18 years of age. Suitable for women and men. The protection is able to take the shape of the owner's jaw after heat treatment. The price of the nozzle varies between 200-250 rubles. The disadvantages include the fact that you can only buy it in specialized stores for boxers and fighters. Supplied in a plastic box.

Excalibur 1566

Static silicone model of transparent color, suitable for teenagers and adults. Produced in Pakistan. It is odorless and tasteless. A good option for cycling or non-professional combat training. Users cited the transparency and softness of the material as advantages. The disadvantages are the standard form, which is not suitable for everyone, and one-sided protection. The price of the plate does not exceed 300 rubles.

Everlast 1 jaw Single

The Everlast single jaw plate is considered one of the best professional boxing accessories, which has also found fans among other contact martial arts. It is made of thermoplastic, which, after steaming in hot water, is able to repeat the shape of the owner’s jaw. Transparent color allows you to notice and assess the extent of damage in time and provide the necessary assistance. Designed for adult athletes or large teenagers. Average price – 350-400 rubles.

Bn Fight Blue

A professional static fighting pad that can simultaneously protect both the upper and lower jaw. The insert is designed with a special shape that allows you to distribute the impact force between the front and back teeth. It is made from a gel, which is covered with a harder substance on top. Despite the standard type, it fits comfortably on the jaw, is equipped with holes for breathing, and does not interfere with talking. Suitable for adult men and women. The price in the Russian Federation ranges from 380-450 rubles.

Purpose of a protective mouth guard

It is necessary to wear a mouth guard for:

Lip protection. Despite the fact that the product is designed to protect the dentition and jaw, its use also helps to protect the lips. It will not be possible to completely protect them from injury, but the number of lacerations will be significantly reduced.
Exceptions for cerebral hemorrhage.
Preventing damage to the trachea from dental fragments.
Avoiding displacement of the cervical vertebrae.
Reduce the likelihood of concussion.

Experienced boxers note that a mouthguard should also be used to relieve tension in the facial muscles.
This helps to quickly restore balance after missed hits. Children also need protection - you need to put a mouthguard on your child’s teeth both during training and before serious sparring. A novice athlete must know how to use a mouthguard and how it should fit. Only those parents whose children wear braces will need to seek professional help. It is extremely difficult to choose the right mouth guard for teeth with braces; it is better to consult a dentist.

Cooking rules

Before cooking a burl, you should carefully study a number of rules that will prevent unforgivable mistakes. So, the rules are as follows:

If the mouthguard is overcooked, it will have to be thrown away, because an incorrectly prepared product will never return to its original shape. It is still possible to prepare the mouthguard, but it will not be possible to restore the overcooked device.
When placing the mouthguard in very hot water, it should not be completely immersed. The sports product should simply float on top.
When clenching your teeth, you cannot move your jaws; you must fix the mouth guard very tightly and wait the required amount of time - 5 minutes.

If the mouthguard is prepared according to the rules, then it:

will have distinct imprints;
will adhere perfectly even to the upper teeth;
will not create discomfort for the athlete.

If you carefully study how to cook kapa correctly, the result will be excellent.

How to choose a mouthguard for teeth

Having chosen a mouth guard of the optimal type and size, you should check it before purchasing for:

gender conformity: women's mouthguards are not suitable for males and vice versa;
age characteristics: it is better for a child to purchase specialized products;
purpose: hockey protection accessories do not meet the requirements in boxing;
absence of odor: if you have the slightest doubt about the quality of the material, you should not purchase the product.

For boxing, it is better to choose a mouthguard of a color that cannot be confused with blood. Referees and sports traumatologists recommend not to choose or wear red-colored items, as they interfere with the visual assessment of the fighter’s condition due to their resemblance to bleeding.

Contraindications

Anti-snoring mouthguards are made from safe, hypoallergenic materials, but even despite this, experts do not recommend their use to patients in the following conditions:

inflammation of the gums;
loose teeth;
diseases attacking periodontium;
malocclusion;
problems with the oral mucosa;
chronic sinusitis;
psychoneurological disease accompanied by convulsive attacks;
mental disorders;
complete or partial absence of teeth;
wearing a complete denture;
allergic reactions to silicone material;
advanced carious process;
obstructive diseases of the bronchial tree;
obesity with an increase in body weight of more than 20%;
inflammation of the nasal mucosa;
bleeding gums;
rehabilitation period after implantation;
gag reflex when trying to install the device.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with mouthguards for teeth

It is important to note that mouthguards are prohibited from being installed on children of a younger age group.

How to properly prepare and cook a dental guard at home

Having realized the importance of the protective element and choosing a suitable copy from high-quality thermoplastic, all that remains is to prepare a mouthguard for boxing. After purchasing, you need to cook the burl, give it the desired shape and cool it. First you need to get rid of excess material at the edges by trying the mouthguard in your mouth and cutting off the excess, and then:

Take a container (pan) of such volume that it is enough to freely place the product. Fill it with water.
Place the container on the fire and wait for the liquid to boil.

Using a tablespoon or slotted spoon, lower the mouth guard into boiling water and brew. When diving for the first time, you need to keep the product in water for no more than 30 seconds - this is the standard time during which thermoplastic softens. Some companies' products have special holders that can be used to immerse them in boiling water.
Remove, wait until the temperature is tolerable: when the hot plastic becomes safe for the skin and mucous membranes.
Insert the mouthguard into your mouth the way it should sit during the fight.
Hold it tightly with both jaws, press with your tongue and hands, giving it an individual shape.
Smooth out the outer free part of the material, leaning it against the gums, wait 15–20 seconds.

Less quality plastic requires longer exposure on the teeth - from 3 to 4 minutes. Characteristics are indicated in the instructions for use.

After unclenching the teeth, the product should remain on the upper jaw and sit quite tightly. Only in this case is it correctly fitted. But the preparation does not end there; it is completed by the most important stage - hardening. At home, cold water comes to the rescue. After pouring cooled boiled water into any container, you need to place the formed product in it and leave for 5-7 minutes or as long as necessary for hardening. During this time, the material will cool down and take the shape that will be most comfortable for the user.

Note! In many videos where they cook mouth guards, the characters in the videos try to drown the plastic in boiling water, holding it with various cutlery. There is no need to do this. To make a mouthguard correctly, you need to let it “free float”. Even without complete immersion, the material will heat up perfectly and become plastic.

You can see the process of cooking and fitting the mouthguard in all details in the following video:

How the mouthguard should sit: checking and re-cooking

There are always doubts whether it was possible to correctly fit the protective element to the teeth and whether it will be comfortable for the boxer. To check, you will have to wait until the product cools down after cooking and put it on your teeth. Correct fit will ensure:

comfort, absence of pain, rubbing;
tight fit: if displacement is noticed when opening the mouth or turning the head, you will have to re-cook the mouth guard and adjust it again;
exact correspondence of the shape of the accessory to the shape of the dentition and jaw features.

An external inspection will not be superfluous. Before putting on a mouthguard, you need to check for tooth marks. If they are clear and deep, then the protection is prepared correctly.

If you didn’t succeed in making a mouth guard to fit your teeth the first time, you can brew it again. This should be done using the same technology: prepare a container with boiling water and cook the plastic in it. To get the expected result after failure, it is worth reviewing the instructions for use again. You may need to increase the cooking time by leaving the product to cook for a longer period.

Common mistakes

It is possible to cook a kapa incorrectly, but it is difficult. Usually errors are associated with incorrect temperature conditions in which the tray is placed.

The mouthguard has become hard - either you placed it in cold water (or not hot enough), or it was left for a long time at a high temperature of about 100 degrees Celsius.

The mouth guard began to form pimples - as in the previous version, this is only possible by keeping it in boiling water for a long time.

The burl melted - a common mistake when cooking cheap thin burls. Such mouthguards melt easily when exposed to high temperatures. In order to cook them correctly, you need to follow the recommended water temperature and the time the mouthguard is in it.

How to put on and wear a dental guard, rules of use

To use a mouthguard for a long time and without problems, it is enough to follow simple rules of care and storage:

prepare a well-ventilated container for it (self-respecting manufacturers supply it with the product);
choose a storage location where direct sunlight cannot penetrate;
use the accessory only for its intended purpose, do not gnaw or bite;
do everything to keep the plastic clean: rinse, rinse with clean water, wipe with a lint-free cloth every time after wearing.

It is important to wear the mouth guard correctly. To do this, you need to open your mouth wide, stretching your lips to the sides, place the protection on your teeth and bite. You can use this product for no more than six months. On average, you can wear a boxing mouthguard for one season. It is not recommended to use it longer - you need to prepare a new one, as the degree of protection decreases. It will also not be possible to digest a mouth guard that has spent its allotted time, since the material will begin to crumble and deform. Manufacturers write in the instructions how long you can wear a mouth guard.

Making a dental guard yourself is easy. The main thing is to give preference to a manufacturer that has proven itself in the sports market, choose a product of the appropriate size and follow the instructions. With the right approach, a high-quality mouthguard fits perfectly and provides reliable protection.

Professional and expensive models

Professional mouth guards are made from high quality materials. They provide increased comfort and the best degree of protection for athletes. The plates are securely fixed on the teeth, do not fall off when speaking (swallowing), and do not impede breathing. They are made from hypoallergenic materials that are fully compatible with the soft tissues of the oral cavity. Most of them are odorless and tasteless, which allows you not to be distracted and fully concentrate on the fight (game).

Flamma iceman 2.0

Double-sided sports head with three-component protection. The gel layer adopts the individual structure of the owner’s teeth, and the rubber insert with acrylic pads reduces the intensity of impacts and distributes the load throughout the jaw. Equipped with breathing holes. Suitable for martial arts, hockey, polo, American football. It has a high degree of protection against chips, shocks, lacerations and hemorrhages. Suitable for adult athletes of any gender. The price is about 800 rubles.

Venum Challenger White Black

The standard plate consists of an inner gel layer that provides a comfortable fit on the teeth, and a durable outer rubber layer that protects the fighter's jaw and head from most possible injuries. A specially designed breathing system does not limit the flow of oxygen even under intense stress. Supplied in a special protective case. Designed for adult men and women. Price – about 1000 rubles.

Venum Predator Gray Black

Venum mouthguards are considered the best for professional MMA fights. Professional fighters took part in the development of the model, which made it possible to take into account all the needs of athletes and provide for their weak points. The plate is equipped with shock-absorbing pads that soften impacts and protect soft tissues. The shock wave is distributed in 2 stages, which helps protect bone tissue from chipping and destruction. The protection is intended for adult male fighters. Supplied with storage container. The average price in Russia is 1500-1700 rubles.

Everlast Evershield 2

Thermoforming jaw attachment, which is used in professional martial arts. After heat treatment, it completely follows the contours of the fighter’s teeth, which ensures maximum fit and the best protection during competitions. Equipped with a shock-absorbing cushion that can withstand even too strong impacts. It has no taste or odor and has breathing holes. Suitable for adult athletes of any gender. The average price varies between 1100-1200 rubles.

MoGo transparent fruit

Professional women's protective nozzle with a fruity aromatic layer, which is placed in the outer part of the material. The plate consists of two components: a soft gel that is securely fixed to the teeth on the inside and transparent, dense plastic on the outside. The model has a high degree of protection against concussions, hemorrhages and other maxillofacial injuries. The price is about 1800 rubles.

Shock Doctor Gel Nano

Thermoplastic professional mouthguard, which is suitable for all types of combat competitions. The double degree of protection ensures the safety of teeth and prevents the possibility of concussions and internal bleeding, even in violent sports. Fits well on the jaw and does not interfere with communication and free breathing. The inner layer is made of an adaptive component, which, under the influence of temperature, follows the shape of the owner’s teeth. Belongs to the average price category - 1100-1200 rubles.

2) Trim the excess length.

You may need to trim the edges of the mouth guard to ensure it fits comfortably and does not irritate the back of your mouth. Just place it in your mouth and, if you feel that the mouth guard is cutting into your gums and throat, or causing a gag reflex, trim off the excess with scissors.

Mouth guards are most often used to protect the front teeth rather than the molars, so you have some wiggle room. Some athletes prefer a shorter mouthguard that covers only the first molars. Therefore, choose what is comfortable for you.

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