When to use a mouth guard
If your sport involves a possibility of contact to the face, a mouthguard should be worn whilst training and playing. In fact, a mouthguard should be a vital part of your equipment bag in sports that include football,wrestling, basketball, hockey, boxing and MMA.
In the United States alone, sporting accidents are one of the most common causes of dental injury. Producing well above $300 million dollars’ worth of dental fees, more than 10 million teeth are knocked out or broken every year.
Depending on your needs, there are 3 main types of mouthguards you can wear. To find the guard best for your sport and to learn of the different types of sport mouthguards available, keep reading.
Stock Mouthguards
Found at most sporting goods stores and departments stores, stock mouthguards are easy to find. These guards are designed to be worn out of the packaging without molding and usually come in one size. Due to their limitation is size options, they usually don't provide a tight fit which can make it hard to talk when wearing them.
Stock mouthguards are most popular in sport positions that demand less frequent speech. For example, many athletes in football such as wide receivers and linemen wear stock mouthguards.
At Nxtrnd, our stock mouthguards are known as our Lip Guard collection.
Boil-And-Bite Mouthguards
Boil-and-bite mouth pieces can also be found in most drug stores and sporting goods stores. Being made of a thermoplastic material, these guards must be molded to the shape of your teeth creating a customized fit and allowing ease of speech and breathability. To get the optimal fit, make sure you follow the instructions that come with it.
Boil-and-bite mouthguards are most frequently seen on boxers, quarterbacks, basketball players and other contact sports that demand the ability to speak easily.
At Nxtrnd, our boil-and-bite mouth protectors can be found under our Standard and Slim Fit collections.
Custom Mouthguards
Custom mouthpieces are made in a dental office or in a laboratory based on a dentist's instructions. Due to the extra time and work involving a dentist and the special material involved, these mouthguards are the most expensive options available. The custom design creates a comfortable tight fit allowing speech and breathability.
If you have sleep apnea or grind your teeth, a custom made mouth protector is your best option. While they're more expensive than other types of mouthguards, we recommend you speak with your insurance company to see if your plan covers some or all the cost.
Choosing a mouthguard
If you play more than one sport, our review guides have been created with you in mind. Each guide breaks down the best mouthguards for your particular sport and goes into detail explaining the different types of guards available.
