What Type of Mouthguard Offers the Best Protection?
What kind of mouthguard offers the best protection?
This article will cover the PROS and CONS of different types of mouth guards.
The 3 Types of Mouth Guards
The level of protection a mouth guard provides is entirely dependent on the type of guard worn. When participating in sporting activities, there are three main types of mouth guards available. Before making your final purchasing decision, it's important you understand how each of the following mouth guard types benefit your current sporting needs.
Stock Mouthguards
Available in most sporting goods stores, this type of mouth guard is typically the least expensive. Being non moldable, meaning it cannot be individually fit to the wearers teeth, stock mouth guards are usually uncomfortable and are likely to slip off the teeth if too big, or pinch the gums if too small.
In both situations, the discomfort and poor fit reduces is ability to protect the teeth from impact. Furthermore, ill-fitting guards often distract players because of discomfort which increase the chance they will remove it from their mouths all together putting an end to the potential protection offered.
Boil-and-bite Mouthguards
Also available at most sporting goods stores, boil-and-bite mouth guards differentiate themselves from stock mouth guards by the custom fit they provide. In fact, the difference between the two models is substantial. After inserting the guard in hot water, a boil-and-bite guard can be comfortably formed to your teeth allowing the perfect fit.
It's important to keep in mind that forming a mouth guard correctly can sometimes be more difficult than it may seem. At Nxtrnd, we know the fitting process is crucial for optimal mouth guard protection and have developed an easy 10 step fitting process to make sure all our guards are correctly fitted.
Custom-fit Mouthguards
Obtained through your dentist's office, custom-fit mouthguards tend to be the most expensive. The fitting process involves multiple appointments where the dental specialist will take impressions of your teeth and send them to a laboratory for the guards’ fabrication. If you have the extra money and time, this option will be the best for you.
However, if you're a young athlete, we do not recommend custom-fit mouth guards. In fact, because custom-fit mouthguards allow little room for adjustments, we do not recommend them to athletes that are still growing. If the athlete’s teeth are still shifting and moving in the mouth, we recommend a mouth guard such as the Nxtrnd Rush which offers a customized fit that is similar to the dentist fabricated models, but at a far lower price and that can be remolded when needed.
Who Should Wear A Mouth Guard
Regardless of the type of mouthguard you choose, it's important to note that the quality of protection is directly related to the quality of the product. We recommend that anyone who participates in sports, no matter the level, should wear a mouth guard. If you're a parent, the earlier you get your child accustomed to the feel of a mouthguard, the easier and less hesitant they will be at wearing one.
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