Vladimir VladisavljevicA mouthpiece is a mandatory part of your equipment. You can be a boxer, a mixed martial artist, or a grappler, you must protect your teeth by any means necessary, or you’ll have to pay thousands of dollars to the dentist.
When you hear somebody saying “mouthpieces are not required”, ask him to eat one knee or a headbutt to his mouth. I bet he’ll change his mind right off the bat.
Did you decide to compete professionally or to spar in your dojo? You will have to buy a great piece of equipment to protect your teeth sooner or later, it’s non-negotiable!
In this article, we will discuss the importance of mouthguards and we will also introduce you to the best picks on the market, covering the majority of martial arts.
The tiny pieces of advice from this thread might spare you thousands of dollars, please read carefully!
About the author
Why a mouthguard is important?
The mouthpiece is mandatory due to many reasons, and we will cover the most notable ones on the list:
- Prevention of top and bottom teeth from slamming into each other and chipping;
- Prevents lateral luxation – the contact between the teeth and the underlying bones;
- Keeps you away from broken teeth and saves your money;
- It decreases the number of inner cheek cuts because it decreases the contact between the sharp area of the teeth with soft tissues on the inside;
- Keeps your health and indirectly protects your brain and other areas of your head.
But there are two things a mouthpiece can’t do:
- it cannot save you from concussions;
- it cannot prevent you from jaw injuries.
When somebody hits you hard, he could break your jaw, even if you wear the best mouth protector in the world. Be aware of that, please!
The different types of mouthguards
There are two types of mouthguards on the market – double-sided and single-sided. While a double-sided piece of equipment is believed to protect more, it brings you many problems too.
We will describe the positive and negative sides of both types, but be aware that high-level martial artists don’t like double-sided ones.
Single-sided mouthguard
- You can breathe, drink water, and talk during the bouts.
- More comfort.
- Greater risk of injuries during punches under weird angles, plus it increases the possibility of a jaw injury as you don’t keep your mouth shut all the time.
Double-sided mouthguard
- Enhanced protection of your teeth area, fewer chances of jaw injuries.
- Better protection during punches under weird angles (overhand, side-step straight/hook) and elbows.
- You will have to keep your mouth closed all the time and breath through your nose.
- You can’t drink water or talk.
Boil-and-bite or custom fit?
I will always tell you to visit your dentist, pay some extra money, and give the maximum protection to your teeth.
A cast mold cannot make a mistake, and yes, this is more expensive. But it will save you a lot of money later, plus you cannot lose your mouthpiece during the fight.
Yet, the majority of fighters stick to boil-and-bite style. You must boil water and put the mouthpiece in it for some time, then hold it in your mouth so it can adjust to the shape of your teeth.
It is a fair option, but if you don’t shape it well, it leads to numerous injuries, plus it might go flying when you eat a big shot.
In MMA, the ref doesn’t stop the fight right off the bat, so it could lead to unnecessary damage.
How we chose the mouthguards on this list?
We tried to focus on the most important aspects of the game. First of all, protection is number one. If you don’t have money for the dentist, you can always buy high-quality pieces of equipment online.
Durability matters, a crappy piece of equipment is not what you’re looking for. Number three, comfort and breathability – you don’t want to lose the fight because of it! Number four is individual needs – maybe the fighter has a bigger or smaller mouth or teeth.
We will try to give you as many details as possible, and you are going to choose among our mouthguard picks!
Let’s deep dive into the world of the greatest mouthguards available on the market.
Ask yourself the question “what do I want with my new piece of training equipment” and you’ll discover your new best friends in less than 5 minutes!
These are the best mouthguards you can buy:
- Venum Predator
- Everlast Evershield Double
- Under Armour ArmourFit
- Opro Platinum
- Impact Mouthguard
- Sisu Aero
- Venum Challenger
Venum Predator
The Predator is an affordable choice for all-around fighters in all kinds of martial arts. It helps you until you reach an intermediate level and it doesn’t drain your wallet.
What we like
- Optimal breathing.
- High-density rubber frame for enhanced shock management.
- Excellent protection, no “blind spots”.
- Great choice of colors.
What we don’t like
- Kinda large and bulky.
The Venum Predator is one of the greatest all-around mouthguard picks on the market. If you’re still unsure of which martial art are you going to train, give Venum Predator a shot!
Everlast Evershield Double
The Evershield works well against hard-hitting hillbillies, as your teeth stay safe during spinning kicks or powerful counter straights. The double-layered frame gets the job done.
What we like
- Shock absorbent inner layer for maximum protection.
- Improved upper and lower jaw protection.
- Tight, comfortable fit.
What we don’t like
- Very hard to breathe.
This is the best double mouthguard on the market for all kinds of martial arts, but it reduces your stamina. If you pick protection over endurance, go for it.
Under Armour ArmourFit
The ArmourFit is a light piece of boil-and-bite mouthguard that offers a decent level of protection for beginners and younger competitors.
What we like
- You can choose between colors and sizes.
- It doesn’t absorb water.
- Good for kids and juniors.
- Slim fit.
What we don’t like
- Not recommended for adults.
- No case included.
This is a great solution for a birthday present for your kid that just kicks off his/her martial arts voyage.
Opro Platinum
The Opro Platinum offers a very good level of protection against uppercuts and knees, so if you duck a lot, this might be a perfect mouthguard for you.
What we like
- Easy molding process.
- Includes carry case.
- Comfortable.
- Great protection against strikes to your chin.
What we don’t like
- Runs large.
- Vulnerable to overhands and Brazilian kicks.
If you’re a ducking specialist like Canelo Alvarez with a big mouth, this might be your best choice.
Impact Mouthguard
The Impact mouthguard is the most expensive piece of training equipment for your mouth, but you should definitely buy this one if you’d like to keep your teeth.
What we like
- Superb fit thanks to an easy-to-use at-home teeth impression kit.
- Very thick, it can protect you against any kind of strike.
- Breathable, easy to talk.
- Great choice of colors.
- Multi-layered heavy-impact mouthpiece.
What we don’t like
- Expensive.
- It is hard to take the mold off.
Any mixed martial artist or boxer should give a shot to the Impact mouthguard. The opponent might break your jaw, but your teeth will stay intact.
Sisu Aero
You’ll feel like you have no mouthpiece at all. Sisu offers you a very thin, breathable model that works very well for all kinds of BJJ, grappling, and wrestling competitions. It is a lovely training piece of equipment.
What we like
- Very light.
- Breathable.
- Comfortable.
- You can drink easily during the match.
- Improved mold-ability for a perfect fit.
What we don’t like
- It is made for contact sports, but not for MMA/kickboxing.
- It won’t protect your teeth well against overhands or punches/knees under weird angles.
Sisu is a great take for grapplers and martial arts where you don’t eat too many direct shots to the head. Yet, it might not be the greatest choice for MMA, kickboxing, or Muay Thai bouts.
Venum Challenger
Made of high-density rubber, the Venum Challenger is a great pick for everybody who seeks maximum protection in contact sports.
What we like
- Easy to shape.
- Enhanced shock management.
- Good protection of the lateral areas of your teeth during the hardest hits.
- You will get Venum protective case too.
- Great airflow.
What we don’t like
- Good for competitors with small mouths.
- Less protection against uppercuts, crane kicks, or straight knees to the head.
Are you looking for a great price/quality ratio, a cheap model that saves you money from visiting the dentist after every single boxing fight? Give Venum Challenger a shot!
Conclusion
Mouthguard matters. It usually costs less than $100, even for the most durable model, while fixing your teeth in the dentist’s office drains your budget. We’ve heard many people saying differently, but they all change their minds after the doctor’s bill.
We hope our thread helped you understand the importance of the mouthpiece and pick the best model that perfectly fits your needs.
