Top Mouthguards For Braces
- Ken Mitchell
- Sep 18, 2021
- 7 min read
Updated: Feb 10
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With every sports season, most athletes encounter the obstacle of finding the right mouthguard for his/her specific sport. For athletes who wear braces , the task of finding the right mouthguard becomes even more daunting. If your getting orthodontic treatment, you know how expensive it can be which makes it even more imperative that you protect your investment. Athletes that wear braces are more susceptible to encountering more painful, permanent dental injuries. Mouthguards for people with braces protect the lips and mouth from lacerations caused by the braces. The mouthguard acts as a barrier between the cheeks and lips and the braces themselves. It can be argued that wearing a mouthguard when athlete has braces may be more important than wearing a mouthguard when an athlete doesn't have braces. Even a minor "bump" to the mouth can cause large cuts on the lips or cheeks. Braces mouthguards are made specifically to be worn over metal braces. Most mouthguards that are designed specifically to worn over braces are made out of a very soft, pliable material. Because you don't mold or boil -and-bite these types of mouthguards to your teeth, it allows the teeth to adjust to changes in the position of the teeth.
The correct mouthguard can also protect the actual braces from damage that could occur from an impact to the mouth during practice or a game. If you haven't read my about page, I detail a first-hand, real-world incident that I experienced.
When choosing a mouthguard for braces, its needs to allow space for your teeth to move and shouldn't fit tight around your braces. If a mouthguard is too tight around or against your braces, the mouthguard could get caught on the braces. When the mouthguard is removed from the mouth, wires or brackets can be loosened or pulled off completely. A tight fit around or against your braces could also hinder the progression of the orthodontic treatment. Always remember that your teeth will be changing over the next 2-4 years or as long as you have your braces. The shift in your teeth's position will be gradual. The Mouthguard you choose will need to adjust to the changes in your teeth's movement or be replaced regularly. Some mouthguard companies that make lip guard type mouthguards, claim that their mouthguard can be worn with braces. The only way a mouthguard should be worn with braces is with material in-between the braces and your lips. If the lip guard is just protecting your lip, whats protecting your lips on the inside of your mouth?
When you choose the right mouthguard for braces, you will need to weigh a few factors before deciding.
1) Cost-How much do you want to spend?
2) Avoid bulky or thick mouthguards (some mouthguards made especially for braces tend to be bulky, rubbery and gag reflex inducing)
3) Comfort
4) Protection
5) Ease of fitting
6) Do you have braces on just your upper teeth or both?
There are mainly 2 types of mouthguards designed specifically for braces.
1) Single braces (for upper teeth only)
2) Double braces (For upper and lower teeth)
Single braces mouthguards protect exactly what the word "single" implies, it protects one arch, while the double braces mouthguard protects two arches. Double braces mouthguards currently meets the NFHS (National Federation Of State High School Sports) wrestling requirements.
*Don't forget to choose the appropriate youth or adult size when choosing a braces mouthguard.
There are three types of mouthguards that can be worn while you have braces.
1) BOIL-AND-BITE
Boil-and-bite mouthguards require the athlete to form the mouthguard to their teeth when the mouthguard is in a pliable state. The method of fitting a boil-and-bite mouthguard for braces is a little different compared to when an athlete doesn't have braces. When fitting the mouthguard you should not form or press the mouthguard with your fingers to the bracket side of your teeth. You want this area to be passive. The problem with this method is that the athlete will have to re-boil-and-bite often due to the teeth shifting after the braces are tightened by the orthodontist. If you are involved several sports or wear your mouthguard often, the teeth may take longer to move.
2) CUSTOM
Just like the boil-and-bite method, custom mouthguards are formed to the athlete's teeth. Because of the shifting of the teeth, this mouthguard will encounter the same problems, but at a much higher cost.
3) INSTA-FIT
Insta-fit mouthguards don't require any boiling or molding. "pop in and play". It's quick and easy and adapts to changes in tooth position as your teeth move with your orthodontic treatment. I recommend these types of mouthguards based on my three children's experiences with all three types of braces mouthguards. I witnessed the advantages and disadvantages of all three types of braces mouthguards and came to the conclusion that the insta-fit braces mouthguards provide ample protection while allowing for changes in your teeth's position.
TOP INSTA-FIT SINGLE (upper teeth only) BRACES MOUTHGUARDS
* Shock Doctor Buy Now
amazon.com
* Under Armour Buy Now
amazon.com
* Makura Buy Now
amazon.com
* NXTRND Buy Now
amazon.com
TOP INSTA-FIT DOUBLE (upper and lower teeth) BRACES MOUTHGUARDS
* NXTRND Buy Now
amazon.com
* Shock Doctor Buy Now
amazon.com
* BATTLE Oxygen Buy Now
amazon.com
* Coolrunner Buy Now
amazon.com
* GO2 Buy Now
amazon.com
* Teeth Walls Buy Now
amazon.com
* Guard Titans Buy Now
amazon.com
* GY Pro Buy Now
amazon.com
* Ginyia Buy Now
amazon.com
The mouthguards listed above do not use the boil-and-bite technique for fitting. There is no need to fit these mouthguards, you just remove them from the package and put in your mouth.
My suggestion is to not buy mouthguards that are "re-fittable" for braces. You have to boil-and-bite these types of mouthguards, which will adapt over your braces. When you pull the mouthguard in and out your mouth, the mouthguard can get stuck on a bracket or brackets or even rub against your brackets, which may cause your braces to come loose over time. They will also have to be re-fitted several times throughout your orthodontic treatment and who wants to keep re-fitting a mouthguard! The first time was bad enough, so why would anyone want to don it several times throughout an athletic season??? The only braces mouthguard that I recommend that you have to use the boil-n-bite fitting technique for braces is the Shield Sports braces mouthguard. The occlusal or biting surface molds to your teeth but the walls that touch your braces or brackets doesn't.
If you don't mind re-fitting your mouthguard every time you get your braces tightened, here is a list of top mouthguards that are re-mouldable.
* SAFEJAWZ Buy Now
amazon.com
*Shock Doctor Ultra Buy Now
amazon.com
* Shock Doctor 4800 Ultra Double Buy Now
(for upper and lower teeth). amazon.com
* OPRO Power-Fit Braces Buy Now
amazon.com
* OPRO Gold Level Buy Now
amazon.com
* SHIELD Sports Braces Buy Now
Top Choice
*BulletProof Braces 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 used him mainly to fit and use mouthguards for weight training.
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.
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- 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.
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.
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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