Best Mouthguards For Basketball
- Ken Mitchell
- Sep 18, 2021
- 6 min read
Updated: Feb 10
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If you have ever played basketball at any level, you know how physical it can be, especially under the basket where bodies are very close to each other. Whether its a inadvertent elbow, a forearm to the mouth or a hand to the face, basketball is definitely not a "non-contact" sport, I should know.
Just in case you didn't read my story about how my teeth were traumatized on my ABOUT page, here it is again. I know first hand the importance of mouthguards in the sports world. I have played several sports throughout my life, including basketball, football, baseball and beach volleyball. My choice not to wear a mouthguard during a high school basketball game forever changed my life and appearance. At the time, I had braces on my upper teeth and was on my way to having a beautiful smile. But that all changed in a split second. During a varsity high school basketbal game, the balll was going out-of-bounds off the opposing team, a player from the opposing team(who just so happened to be the quarterback on the football team) jumped in the air to save the ball, grabbed the ball in mid-air and threw the ball as hard as he could at, guess who? ME!!! It all happened so quickly. The ball struck me square in the face and severely traumatized my teeth. My two front teeth were chipped, one tooth resemble a V in shape and the other tooth was hanging from the braces bracket. My lip was bleeding profusely and needles to say, I was in shock.
Throughout my life I (and my parents) spent thousands of dollars trying to make my teeth look like natural teeth.From the date of the basketball accident until today, I have had two root canals, Three different sets of crowns and one dental implant.
My oldest son also had an accident in a travel basketball game, but not because he wasn't wearing a mouthguard, it was because the player from the opposing team wasn't wearing one. My son went up for a rebound and after he landed on his feet the other players teeth landed on the bridge of my sons nose, leaving a perfect imprint in the shape of two teeth. I rushed him to the hospital emergency room because I assumed he would need stitches but the doctor told us that they don't suture bite wounds because of the amount of bacteria and viruses in the human mouth.
In a study by the American Dental Association, when compared to other sports, basketball was the sport with the highest injury rate. The injury rate for men's basketball was five times higher than that for football players where mouthguard use is mandatory.
According to Stephen Mitchell D.M.D, associate professor in the University of Alabama-Birmingham Department of Dentistry, "Basketball and Baseball are the two biggest mouth-injury sports."
Not wearing a mouthguard can get really expensive not only in rugby, but in any sport. If you are unfortunate to take a blow to the mouth while not wearing a mouthguard and actually loose a tooth, the average cost of replacing a tooth in the United States is about $3,000 to $10,000 or in some cases, more. The cost of any mouthguard, boil-n-bite or even a custom mouthguard only makes sense.
Because mouthguards aren't mandated or required by most leagues and organizations, most athletes don't even consider purchasing a mouthguard for basketball. The type of mouthguard you should purchase for basketball is extremely different than most other sports. It doesnt even have to cover most of your back teeth. I have compiled a list of mouthguards that are thin and easy to communicate while wearing. You Cant really go wrong with any of these mouthguards.
If you have braces your choices are more limited. Check out the Top Mouthguards section for my top rated braces mouthguards.
Even though these mouthguards make the "Best" list, make sure you check out the complete review on my Reviews page
BEST MOUTHGUARDS FOR BASKETBALL
* BATTLE Sports Ultra-Slim
Buy Now amazon.com
* SISU GO Buy Now
amazon.com
TOP CHOICE
* Game On Buy Now
amazon.com
* Under Armour MicroSlim
Buy Now amazon.com
* Guard Lab APEX Lite Buy Now
amazon.com
* Shock Doctor SuperFit Buy Now
* Under Armour Buy Now
* SISU Aero Buy Now
amazon.com
* NXTRND Zero Buy Now
amazon.com
* Shock Doctor Ultra-Slim Microfit
Buy Now amazon.com
* SISU Next Gen Max Buy Now
amazon.com
* Under Armour PowerFit Buy Now
amazon.com
HOW I (The Author) TEST MOUTHGUARDS & WHY I CAN BE TRUSTED
My name is Ken Mitchell. I Have been fabricating custom mouthguards for more than 15 years and have been a dental technician for over 20 years. I also, have owned my own dental laboratory for over 20 years.
Besides having work experience with mouthguards, I know first hand the importance of mouthguards in the sports world. I have played several sports throughout my life at the hight school level, including basketball, football, baseball and beach volleyball. I am also a father to two sons and a daughter who have played Soccer, Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Lacrosse and Baseball ever since they were in the first grade. From time to time I have used my children to test mouthguards to get a first-hand, real-world experience with custom mouthguards and store bought mouthguards.
I search for every mouthguard on the market. Then, I purchase (with my own funds) every mouthguard I review through places like Amazon, eBay or directly from the manufacturer, just like you would, then evaluate every mouthguard based on my expert opinion. I also comb the internet to find other reviews on durability to develop a better understanding of specific mouthguards pros and cons over an extended period of time.
Every mouthguard I review, is fitted and examined by me. The only time a mouthguard is fitted by another person besides me, would be my son, who plays college football. I use him mainly to fit and use mouthguards for weight training and football.
When I review a mouthguard it must pass certain criteria to rank in my top 10.
FIT- I believe this is the most important factor in evaluating a mouthguard, because without a tight fit, all of the other criteria can be thrown out the window. When wearing a mouthguard you shouldn't have to clench your teeth to stop the mouthguard from falling out. It should fit as tight as possible.
Comfort- Comfort goes hand in hand with the fit, if the the mouthguard is comfortable you wont get distracted by focusing on your mouthguard, instead you will be focused on the game and perform at your highest level.
Protection/Tooth Coverage- With advancement in materials, mouthguards that are thick, aren't necessarily more protective than thinner mouthguards. Brands like SISU and Game On, provide thinner mouthguards that are 40-100% stronger than EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) that is used by most mouthguard manufacturers. A proper fitting mouthguard should cover at least your first molars to provide adequate protection. A mouthguard shouldn't extend past your second molar because it could trigger the gag reflex. Also, your mouthguard should cover your gums or the roots of your teeth.
Sport- Almost every mouthguard on the market is made for use in multiple sports but there are a few mouthguards that are designed for weight training or exercising. I will break down which sport each mouthguard is better for.
Design- I examine the color variations available and the overall design of the mouthguard, the bells and whistles if you will.
Fitting process- Most boil-n-bite mouthguards are fitted with the same process, although some fitting processes are more uncomfortable than others.
Remember to always take into consideration that every mouthguard may not suit your specific requirements. Each person is different and everyone's mouth is unique to that person. The Mouthguard Review can only evaluate the initial fit of a mouthguard and only "real world" use can show long term durability and other design flaws.
*The Mouthguard Review has no connection to any mouthguard manufacturer and has no financial incentive to rate any brand over another. All of the reviews are written and performed by one person and are 100% unbiased.
THE MATERIALS AND INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE HAVE BEEN PREPARED OR ASSEMBLED BY THE MOUTHGUARD REVIEW AND ARE INTENDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR ADVICE FROM A LICENSED HEALTH-CAR PROFESSIONAL. YOU SHOULD NOT RELY SOLELY ON THIS CONTENT, AND THE MOUTHGUARD REVIEW ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR INACCURACIES. ALWAYS READ LABELS AND DIRECTIONS BEFORE USING A PRODUCT. SOME OF THE INFORMATION MAY BE DATED AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE MOST CURRENT EVENTS. I WROTE THIS ARTICLE MYSELF AND IT EXPRESSES MY OWN OPINIONS.
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