Do you wear a mouth guard?

[Harkon72]

Does anyone wear a mouth guard to do their sparring?

I'm about to start free sparring in my style and have just invested in a Nike thermo setting mouth guard for £7.

Do you use them? Is mine too cheap, or even unnecessary?

[IcemanSK]

Good mouthpieces are vital for sparring. I don't know about the one you mentioned, but for say, $20, your mouth can be protect against hundreds of dollars of dental work.

In my 30 years of martial arts, I've had good ones & bad ones. I got kicked wearing a cheap one & one of my teeth was moved permenantly. Now I have a dentist-made mouthpiece. They can start at $150.00. But it's better than $600.00+ for tooth replacement.

[AdamKralic]

A mouthguard is mandatory. A $20 one should be fine. I've seen them as cheap as $4. The $20 models use thicker, stronger material than do the $4 ones.

[sensei8]

Good mouthpieces are vital for sparring. I don't know about the one you mentioned, but for say, $20, your mouth can be protect against hundreds of dollars of dental work.

In my 30 years of martial arts, I've had good ones & bad ones. I got kicked wearing a cheap one & one of my teeth was moved permenantly. Now I have a dentist-made mouthpiece. They can start at $150.00. But it's better than $600.00+ for tooth replacement.

Solid post!!

A mouthpiece is just as, if not even more, important than any kumite gear one might/must wear.

I had a student once who couldn't wear a mouthpiece because it caused him to gag. After all we tried, he dropped out; by his own choice.

[blacknebula]

Absolutely! I like my teeth they way they are.

I initially tried one I bought from a sports store (the kind that you put into boiling water then bite on) and it was horrible. I was so distracted by it that I couldn't breathe properly or concentrate on what I was doing. So I had a custom one done by my dentist and it is a world of difference. Much more comfortable and I'm sure effective too.

[Wastelander]

A mouthguard is definitely vital for sparring! I hated the boil-and-bite type, but I couldn't afford a dentist-made one, so I went with Gladiator Guard. They send you a kit to mold your teeth, which you then send back and they use it to make a custom-fitted mouthguard like you would get at the dentist, but for about half the cost. A nice bonus is that they keep the casting of your teeth, and if you ever need a replacement mouthguard you can order one for half the original price because they can use that casting they already have. If I ever wear out this one, I may try one of the other custom brands, or a dentist-made one, but after using a custom-fitted mouthguard, I'll never go back to the boil-and-bite ones.

[DWx]

Can't really add much to what people have said already. Mouthguards for me have higher priority than any of my other gear. Really do not want to have my teeth knocked out. Custom fit mouthguards are the way to go too if you can afford it as they fit so much better.

Also FYI to anyone in the UK under 18, your dentist can actually get them made for free for you on the NHS. I must have had 3 or 4 custom mouthguards over the years where I didn't have to pay a penny.

[Cobra_Kai]

I agree with DWx, my mouth guard is my most important piece of equipment