If you’re like me, the further you get into MMA the more specialist protective equipment you’ll want to have.
In this article I’m going to break down a selection of the best custom mouth guards for MMA that are available today.
The problem is that injuries are FAR too common in this sport. They’re a necessary evil (because I just love the sport too much) but one that I’m often trying to minimize.
Sure you can grab a standard mouth guard that will protect your teeth 70% of the way. But there’s something special about having a mouth guard that is custom fit for your jaw and any unique teeth issues or grooves.
What’s so good about a custom mouth guard?
A standard mouth guard will often have a boil and bite method to give you a fairly good fit around the top set of your teeth.
But where a custom mouth guard comes into its own is that you’ll get a complete moulded guard for your teeth that’s not just a protective barrier of teeth but much more comforted suction around your gums, too.
With the custom mouth guard made exactly to your teeth, you can be sure of the best fit, comfort and protection.
There isn’t any debate here, let me tell you – custom mouth guards are the premium protection for your teeth.
If you want the ultimate possible safety you can get from a mouth guard, then custom is the way to go.
Is a custom mouth guard safer than a boil and bite?
Short answer: yes. A custom mouth guard offers the greatest possible protection.
Now don’t get me wrong, a custom mouth guard isn’t going to make your teeth like Adamantium. But its as close as it gets.
So how are they different?
A boil and bite mouth guard’s protection level can lower significantly even at the forming (boiling-and-biting) stage.
A lot of users of the boil and bite will bite too hard and squish away the gel away from the frame of the guard in unique ways.
So you can quite easily end up with the protective gel, once cooled, moving away and reducing the softening between the frame of the guard and your teeth. That means less protection.
Along with that, if you don’t get the right forming, your guard could be too loose and not be actually providing the proper protection. For some people it seems really easy to mess up the forming stage.
And finally, the boil and bite guard can be bulkier in size or not adapted for air flow. You want protection around your teeth, but you also need to still get that constant air flow for maximum output in the sport of MMA.
Are custom mouth guards worth the money?
Most custom mouth guards are in a much higher price range than your usual store bought version.
It’s for good reason, not only do they give you the safety benefits mentioned above but they are much longer lasting.
For what you’d pay for a boil and bite mouth guard, you’d likely get a fifth of the life span out of one when compared with a custom mouth guard. Custom mouth guards usually last five times longer and so the price difference is justified.
The solution that custom brands provide is a hell of a lot cheaper than it would be at the dentist, too.
Dentists might charge you a small fortune for getting the mouth mould, whereas a custom mouth guard brand will commonly send you a kit in the post and you can do it yourself. No overpriced dentist time required.
For the UFC level protection, comfort, fit and value you’re getting – they are worth it.
Best Custom Mouth Guards for MMA
Let’s dive right into some of the best options for custom MMA mouth guards on the market.
Impact Custom Mouthguards
Our Rating: 4.7/5
Impact Mouthguards are some of the most popular custom fits around. They’re highly reviewed and regarded. There isn’t a huge selection of customs out there, but Impact surely sits at the top of the pile.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The best fit a man can get | Quite thick mouth guard (due to protection) |
| Looks badass | Expensive |
| BPA free | |
| Many unique designs to choose from |
Sentinel Mouthguards
Our Rating: 4.5/5
The Sentinel Mouthguards brand have a wide range of mouth guards for many different needs and uses, like dental night guards and others.
With this specialty guard, they’ve brought their knowledge across to provide a perfect fit to be used in contact sports like BJJ, boxing and MMA.
When you order the mouth guard, they’ll send you a custom kit to take a full dental impression. Just mail it back to them and receive your custom mouth guard in the post within 4-7 business days.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Specialists brand in guards | They mainly produce night guards, which isn’t the same as reducing impact to the face in MMA |
| Double putty included in package for getting a perfect dental impression | High price, even for customs |
| Suitable for heavy weightlifting, too | Not suitable for anyone with braces or loose dental work |
Gladiator Guards
Our Rating: 4.2/5
The Gladiator Guards are still a good option for a variety of contact sports. You also might find them more typical to mouth guards you have used before as they are useful for a variety of sports and are styled as such.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Customizable by color, logo and ID | Not fully specialized for MMA |
| Highly durable from chewing | |
| Long lasting |
Final Thoughts
Whichever brand you decide to go with for a custom mouth guard, without a doubt you’ll get a much greater level of protection. Personally, I like the Impact Custom Mouthguard the most.
Many martial artists would say that the custom fitting gives them a much greater degree of security, comfort and better breathing because of the greater airflow that a custom usually offers.
Even though there’s a higher price with customs, it’s usually considered worth it. Most who switch to a custom rarely go back to classics like the boil and bite. And I agree.
I’m sure you will enjoy the benefits of getting a tailored fit for your jaw and enjoy greater comfort and protection. Hopefully this roundup has helped you pick out the best option.
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