Mouthguard for teeth: how to choose, cook, prepare, dress and wear

Capa is a simple and familiar piece of equipment. Its uncomplicated design does not raise questions, but not everyone knows how to properly brew a tray for boxing, how to customize and customize it for yourself.

What are the mouthguards

Since this accessory for teeth is used not only in boxing, you can also find mouthguards for various sports on sale. Therefore, before buying, you need to make sure the target accessories of the product. Conditionally, protection for teeth can be divided according to several signs.

By appointment

According to the purpose of the cap, there are:

• Designed to protect the teeth of the upper jaw.
• Designed for both jaws (equipped with a special hole through which the athlete can breathe).

By material

Thermoplastic burl

Three types of boxing caps for teeth are known:

• Hard standard (for owners of perfectly straight teeth).
• Thermoplastic.
• Hard, made according to an individual cast.

The best and most affordable material is thermoplastic. Thermoplastic mouthguards soften under the influence of hot water, and then quickly cool down, "remembering" the shape of the teeth. The main thing is to choose a product that fits the size.

In size and thickness

Choosing the size of the mouth guard to protect your teeth and mouth should be very careful. In Moscow, you can buy mouth guards of various sizes and thicknesses. A product that is suitable in size can be perfectly adapted to your teeth, too large a size will not allow the element to stay in your mouth, and a too small accessory will cause discomfort and pain in the teeth.

It is better to give preference to medium-thick mouthguards: the thick one will feel strongly in the mouth, and the thin one will not be able to provide the proper degree of protection for the teeth and gums.

By color

There are mouth guards for adults and children, of different colors and with different tastes. The most popular mint flavor protective accessories.

As a natural antiseptic, mint provides additional protection against bacteria, and as a natural deodorant, it provides a feeling of freshness.

The purpose of the protective cap

To put on a mouth guard is necessary for:

• Lip protection. Despite the fact that the product is designed to protect the dentition and jaw, when using it, it is possible to preserve the lips. It will not work to completely protect them from injury, but the number of lacerations will be significantly reduced.
• Exclusions of cerebral hemorrhage.
• Warnings for damage to trachea by fragments of teeth.
• Avoidance of displacement of the cervical vertebrae.
• Decrease in probability of concussion.

Experienced boxers say that you need to use a mouth guard to relieve tension of the facial muscles. This helps to quickly restore balance after missed hits.

Children also need protection - you need to wear a mouth guard on the child’s teeth during training and before serious sparring. The novice athlete himself must know how to use the mouthpiece, and how it should sit. Only those parents whose children wear braces will have to seek professional help. It is extremely difficult to choose the right mouth guard for teeth with braces - it is better to consult dentistry.

How to choose a mouth guard for teeth

Having chosen the mouth guard of the optimal type and size, it is worth checking it before purchasing for:

• correspondence to gender: female mouthguards are not suitable for males and vice versa
• age characteristics: it is better for the child to purchase specialized products;
• mission: hockey protection accessories do not meet the requirements in boxing;
• lack of smell: at the slightest doubt in the quality of the material, the goods should not be purchased.

For boxing, it is better to choose a mouthguard of a color that cannot be confused with blood. Referees and sports trauma doctors recommend that you don’t choose or wear red shades, as they interfere with the visual assessment of a fighter’s condition due to similarity with bleeding.

How to prepare and cook a mouth guard for teeth at home

Realizing the importance of the protective element and choosing a suitable copy of high-quality thermoplastic, it remains to prepare a mouthguard for boxing. After the purchase, you will have to cook the mouthpiece, give it the desired shape and cool. First, you need to get rid of excess material at the edges, trying on a mouth guard and cutting off excess, and then:

• Take a container (pan) of such a volume that it is enough for free placement of the product. Fill it with water.
• Put the container on fire, wait for the liquid to boil.

• Using a tablespoon or slotted spoon, lower the cap into boiling water and brew. When diving for the first time, keep the product in water for no more than 30 seconds - This is the standard time during which thermoplastics soften. The products of some companies have special holders that can be used to immerse in boiling water.
• Take out, wait for a tolerable temperature: when the hot plastic becomes safe for the skin and mucous membranes.
• Insert the mouthpiece in the mouth as it should sit during the battle.
• Tightly clamp it with both jaws, press with your tongue and hands, giving it an individual shape.
• To smooth the external free part of the material, leaning it against the gums, wait 15–20 seconds.

Less quality plastic requires a longer exposure on the teeth - from 3 to 4 minutes. Specifications are indicated in the instructions for use.

After opening the teeth, the product should remain on the upper jaw and sit pretty tight. Only in this case is it properly fitted. But the preparation does not end there, it is completed by the most important stage - hardening. At home, cold water comes to the rescue. Having poured cooled boiled water into any container, it is necessary to place the formed product in it and leave it for 5-7 minutes or as much as is necessary for solidification. During this time, the material will cool, take the form that will be most comfortable for the user.

Note! In many videos where toothpaste is cooked, the heroes of the videos try to drown plastic in boiling water, holding it with various cutlery. You do not need to do this. To properly make the mouthpiece, you need to let it go in "free swimming". The material will heat up perfectly and become plastic without complete immersion.

You can see the process of cooking and fitting the mouth guard in full detail in the following video:

How the mouthpiece should sit: checking and re-cooking

There are always doubts whether it was possible to correctly fit the protective element under the teeth, whether it will be comfortable for the boxer. To check, you will have to wait for the product to cool after cooking and put it on your teeth. Proper fit will ensure:

• comfort, lack of pain, rubbing;
• tight fit: if you notice a displacement when you open your mouth or turn your head, you will have to digest the mouthpiece and fit it again;
• exact correspondence of the accessory shape to the dentition shape and jaw features.

An external examination will not be superfluous. Before putting on the mouthpiece, you need to check for tooth imprints. If they are clear and deep, then the defense is prepared correctly.

If the first time it was not possible to make a mouthpiece under your teeth, you can brew it again. You need to do this according to the same technology: prepare a container with boiling water and weld plastic in it.To obtain the expected result after failure, it is worth revising the instructions for use again. You may have to increase the cooking time, leaving the product to cook for a longer period.

How to wear and wear a mouth guard for teeth, rules of use

To use the mouth guard for a long time and without problems, it is enough to follow simple rules for care and storage:

• prepare a well-ventilated container for it (self-respecting manufacturers supply it with the product);
• choose a place for storage where direct sunlight can not penetrate;
• use the accessory only for its intended purpose, do not bite your teeth and do not bite;
• do everything so that the plastic is kept clean: rinse, rinse with clean water, wipe with a lint-free cloth every time after wearing.

It is important to wear the mouth guard correctly. To do this, open your mouth wide, stretching your lips to the sides, put protection on your teeth and bite. You can use such a product for no more than six months. On average, you can wear boxing caps for one season. Using it longer is not recommended - you need to prepare a new one, since the degree of protection is reduced. It will also not be possible to digest the mug that has been released for a given period, since the material will begin to crumble and deform. How much can you wear a mouth guard, manufacturers write in the instructions.

Making a mouth guard for your teeth yourself is easy. The main thing is to give preference to a well-established manufacturer in the sports market, choose a product of a suitable size and follow the instructions. With a competent approach, a quality burl fits perfectly and provides reliable protection.