Custom Mouth Guards: Worth the Investment? by Alive Boxer Jason Clark

Custom Mouth Guards: Worth the Investment?
Jason Clark’s Experience with the Process and the Result

I’m fairly new to Alive and the sweet science of Boxing, however after one trip to my local sporting goods store it quickly became apparent that the quality and range of boxing equipment was severely lacking. In addition, the sales staff was not qualified to provide guidance or even answer basic questions.
So, as I looked around the gym and all the different types of gloves, wraps and headgear, first wanted to know where they came from, and second, what’s the difference between various brands and types of gear? What’s the difference between Grants and Reyes Gloves and are wrestling and boxing shoes really different?
For boxing equipment there are two main suppliers Ringside (http://www.ringside.com/) and Title (http://www.titleboxing.com/). Both websites have a huge selection of boxing products and sizes and you can find regular sales events on selected products. Unfortunately, the only way to purchase gear is online and while they have very user friendly web sites, you can’t ask questions, try something on for size or feel and the ordeal of returning a product by post sends a shiver down my spine. Therefore, any feedback you can get on a product prior to ordering increases your chances of success.
There are many good resources for independent gear reviews; I’ve listed a few of my personal favorites below:
§ Rate this Gear (www.youtube.com/user/ratethisgear)
§ Sherdog Forum Gear & Equipment Reviews (www.sherdog.net/forums/f67/)
§ Boxing Forum (www.boxingforum.com/boxing-equipment-reviews/)
§ Asking gym buddies

Contrary to popular belief, some of us British citizens do actually value our teeth. I’ve tried a few of the boil/bite mouth guards and while they do represent great value for money I’ve never had a great fit (must be the Austin Powers teeth). During sparring, I found myself biting my tongue time and time again and the mold of my teeth never felt quite right. I became determined to find a better alternative and after reading some online reviews of various mouth guards, jawzz (http://www.jawzz.com/) seemed to be the best bet.
The price ranges from $75 through to $195 and as far as I can tell, the difference on price represents the amount of custom design artwork requested. I opted for the basic mouth guard, which includes a single color & one word artwork.
After placing my order, the kit (including instructions) was shipped within 2 business days. One warning, if you’re the type of person who tosses the IKEA instructions away prior to assembly, I suggest you actually read these instructions first! The instructions for fitting the mouth guard were clear and well written and also included pictures that walked you through each step. The first step is similar to the regular boil/bite mouth guards; you boil the rubber mouthpiece for about 30 seconds and then quickly bite down to leave an imprint of your teeth. The next step is what makes this mouth guard unique. Included in the kit is something that looks like two different strips of clay; you soften them up by kneading them together for a minute or so (very James Bond), and then you line the mouthpiece with the clay. Once that’s all set, you bite down on the mouthpiece again, but this time, for about 3 minutes. The clay feels pretty strange in your mouth, and you can actually feel it starting to harden and mold around your teeth. One plus – the clay is grape-flavored! After you take the mouthpiece off your teeth, you’ll see a perfect mold of your bite. There is some paperwork to complete that includes your artwork and font selections and then you just send it back in the packaging that was included in the kit. Once your mold is received, it typically takes 3-5 weeks to get your finished guard. The process was fairly straightforward and any queries you have are typically answered through email quickly and efficiently.
In terms of performance, the mouth guard is excellent; it’s a perfect fit, no more tongue injuries and I find it much easier to breathe during sparring and talk in between rounds without removing my guard, dropping it on the floor and weighing up the pro’s & con’s of replacing it without rinsing first.
The cons include the expense; while this is an important piece of safety equipment the top of the range at $195 is crazy. I suggest forgetting the custom artwork and leaving it to the UFC guys. As I mentioned before it appears to be the same basic mouth guard across the selections. Secondly 3-5 weeks is a long time to wait for delivery of the final mouth guard.
In conclusion I highly recommend the Jawzz basic mouth guard. Safety to me (and my M.D. wife) is a priority and worth the expense. Please remember that the Alive gym does stock a selection of gear including low cost mouth guards, which are perfect if like me, you often leave yours at home.
Regardless of a person’s budget, true value for money is measured by a product’s ability to meet its intended use. So, if you see someone with a piece of gear you have been thinking about purchasing, ask them about the pro’s & cons and make another Alive friend in the process.