A correct fitting mouthguard is crucial to get the best protection for your teeth. This guide will help you with what to look for when searching for a new American Football tackle or flag football mouthguard.
A mouthguard is an essential part for protecting your teeth, but never let a mouthguard hinder your speech during the game. Mouthguards are known for their different models, sizes and shapes. We understand that it is difficult to know what to look for. Therefore we have created this buying guide to walk you through the land of mouthguards.
Balance between protection and comfort
There are a lot of things you have to think about when buying a mouthguard. First off all you want to make sure the one you want is also an option whether you have braces or not.
Also if you have a position where you need to speak and coach a lot, you might need a slim mouthguard that fits tight. The reason behind this is because this allows you to speak as much as possible and breath easily.
If you protection is your number one priority you can go for a mouthguard that also functions as a lip protector. The mouthguard has a molded fit and has an oval shaped shield that completely covers your lips as added protection. A disadvantage is that you can’t speak as good and as much as possible. Therefore these mouthguards are good to use as a Lineman or Running Back for example.
In case you have a set of braces, no worries at all. Some of the brands produce mouthguards that are suitable for people with braces, they note this on the packaging. These mouthguards adapt to the structure of your teeth as these adjust over time. So you don’t have to spend extra money on mouthguards throughout the season.
The new development in mouthguards are the flavored ones. They come in many different flavors such as strawberry, lime or chocolate. These flavors fight the nasty taste of the rubber. The length and intensity of the flavor varies by brand, some of them could last the whole season.
The right mold
Almost every single mouthguard can be customized to a certain level. You can go to the dentist for the best of the best, but they might cost op to €200,-. They make a mold of your mouth and send it to the company that makes these custom mouthguards. Well if it is up to me, I know what to do. So here are the better options below.
First of all there is the boil-and-bite fit. The process is very simple. Drop the mouthguard in boiling water to soften it. Then bite down in the mouthguard to secure the perfect mold. This method is easy and way more affordable. You don’t have to boil some of the mouthguards nowadays. Just dipping them in warm or low-temperature water. Some of the brands also offer an instant-fit that is made from a soft gel. This automatically molds to your specific bite. This means that it is game ready straight out the box.
The mouthguard example that you see above is a new style of mouthguards introduced by Shock Doctor. These are detachable mouthguards. This means that you can change the style of the mouthguard for every game or training. These shield are also separately available. Click here to browse the mouthguard shields.
Strap or strapless
Before buying a strapped or strapless mouthguard, always check your local league if they are allowed. Step two is personal preference, pick the option that suits you best. Both of the variant has its ups and downs.
Strapped mouthguards are for the players who tend to forget their equipment at home. As long as they bring their helmets they are safe. That’s what the strap is for. Also a strap shows the coaches and officials that you are wearing one. Just don’t carry the helmet on the tether, this might damage the mouthguard and the strap as well.
In some of the leagues you can’t use a strapless mouthguard. But if you are allowed to use it, keep in mind that you might lose a mouthguard without a strap pretty easy. Some of the players still find the tether annoying, that’s the main reason they leave it out.
There are also convertible mouthguards on the market. These have a strap which is detachable so it can be strapped or strapless. These are the best option for players who have yet to make the choice between the sort of mouthguard. Most of these convertible mouthguards have special features like chew resistance for a longer life span or a flavor to fight the rubber taste.
