Different types of mouth guards

Different Types of Mouth Guards

Mouthguards are devices used to protect your teeth from injuries while you play sports. In theory, they can also help reduce the risk of concussion as well as protect the jaw and skull from serious injury.

However, not all mouthguards are the same. There are 5 main types, depending on your needs. Keep reading to learn about the different types, including which ones are best for certain situations.

What are the types of mouthguards?

Stock Mouth Guards

Stock mouth guards do not require molding of any sort. They are designed to fit your mouth directly out of the packaging. These mouth guards are typically bulky in feel and uncomfortable, however, they are a good solution when in need of a quick fix before a game. We do not recommend stock mouthguards as they are our least favorable of the varieties available.

Boil and Bite Mouth Guards

Also known as "Mouth Adapted Mouthguards". These are the most popular types of mouthpieces. They are designed so the end-user can customize the fit at home by molding them to their teeth with hot water. This feature helps increase the level of protection and comfort while being affordable. What makes these models the preferred choice among amateur and professional athletes is their retail accessibility and easy molding process. For a great performing boil-and-bite Mouthguard, we recommend the Nxtrnd Rush.

The Rush is a highly versatile guard designed for ease of speech and breathability. It's versatility has enabled it to make a name for itself outside the sport of football. In fact, this guard is worn in most contact sports requiring high-end protective gear including basketball, boxing, MMA, hockey, and lacrosse. Available in multiple colors, this guard can be purchased on Amazon.com or through Nxtrnd's website.

This mouth guard is one that you need to boil first, then mold to your mouth for a custom fit. It features a dual layer construction, consisting of a soft inner liner and a shock absorbing outer frame for maximum protection, comfort, and durability. In addition, because of it's slim and customized fit, it offers an easier time talking, breathing, and drinking without having to remove the protective gear

Lip Protector Mouth Guards

If you watch football, you might have seen athletes wearing what looks like a big pacifier in their mouth. In fact, these gridiron athletes are actually wearing what is called a Lip Guard or Lip Protector.

While traditional mouth guards cover the top or bottom row of teeth only, lip guard mouth pieces also cover your top and bottom lip. People often believe that the most common oral injuries are cracked or missing teeth. However, according to a recent article published by Sports Health, injuries to the mouth's soft tissue are most common. In fact, almost 90 percent of oral and dental injuries involve the lips, cheeks and tongue of athletes.

Wearing the proper mouth guard can significantly reduce the risk of injury. Sports Health's study also found that athletes had between 1.6 and 1.9 times the risk for injury when they didn't wear a mouth guard.

Because football is a high contact sport, protecting your mouth on the inside and out is extremely important. Flying fingers and hands are very common as various players attempt to tackle or hold each other off. It only takes a slight change in movement for that outstretched hand that was aiming for a shoulder to reach through the helmet and smack the athlete in the face instead, and if the offender in question has long or ungroomed nails, this can be a major safety hazard. These incidents usually result in cuts, lacerations, and often times even full-on cosmetic surgeries are required to fix the injury. However, the lip guard helps surround the entire mouth and prevents this from happening.

A lip guard is another type of football mouth guard that features an extra component covering the player's lips, protecting the teeth as well as improving the intensity and style of his game.

Whether you are playing in a youth, high school, college, or professional football league, a lip guard is a wise choice when it comes to football mouth guards.

If you are in search of a good football mouthguard then the Nxtrnd ONE football mouthguard is the perfect option for you.

Mouth Guard for Braces

Braces mouth guards protect the braces as well as your teeth, jaw and mouth from hard impacts. A well designed braces mouthguard will provide a channel in the front part of the guard to accomodate the braces brackets and offer extra width to cover the braces, teeth and gums. The braces guard should offer the same level of protection as a regular mouth guard and should fit comfortably without reducing your ability to breath.

Since braces alter the position of teeth, getting a custom molded mouthguard from your dentist or a OTC boil-and-bite mouthguard may become ineffective, uncomfortable, and provide less protection after a few weeks. For the best protection and comfort, we recommend a no-boiling required mouth guard designed to conform to brace brackets for instant comfort and lip laceration prevention.

These kind of mouthguards are made of medicale grade silicone which enable them to adapt to changes in mouth structure as teeth adjust.

The Braces mouthguard is ideal for athletes with braces. For adults and children, the guard is designed to conform to your mouth instantly and adapt to changes as your teeth adjust over time. The special braces channel offers immediate comfort while also preventing the risk of lacerations. Available in multiple colors, this guard can be purchased on Amazon.com or through Nxtrnd's website.

The mouth guard is constructed out of a lightweight and comfy medical-grade silicone material. The guard comes with an adjustable facemask strap for quick adjustments. Furthermore, the mouth guard is highly durable making it chew resistant. It guarantees a more secure fit over your braces, thereby preventing lacerations in your mouth. 

Double Mouth Guards

Covering both upper and lower teeth, double mouth guards are perfect for people in combat sports where the majority of impacts are made to the face. Double mouthguards can also be beneficial for athletes with upper and lower orthodontic braces. Most double mouth guards can not be boiled to fit, they usually require clenching to stay in the athletes mouth and feature a small breathing hole in the material between upper and lower teeth bitting pads. Although these types of mouth guards are most popular in boxing and mma gyms, the majority of professional boxers and mma athletes do not wear double mouth guards.

The most popular mouth guards are custom fit mouth guards which cover the upper teeth only. The reason for this is because custom mouth guards offer better breathability, better comfort, and even greater protection. Moreover, if you do not have malocclusion (misaligned bite) the mouth guard will also offer sufficient protection for your bottom teeth. If you do have a malocclusion, we recommend you wear a double mouthguard.