Mouth Guards

1 – Mass-produced mouth guards

This type of mouth guard is generally sold in sporting goods stores and is often provided free of charge with the purchase of sports equipment, which says a lot about its value.

Very inexpensive (usually less than $10), it is not properly adjusted to the mouth and therefore does not allow for normal breathing and speaking. In addition, since it is unstable in the mouth, it can represent a choking hazard that is to be considered.

Some professionals consider this type of mouth guard to be equivalent to not wearing any mouth protector at all.

2 – Shapable mouth guards

Better than the first category of protectors, this type of product is very popular. The price varies between $10 and $100.

Molding your mouth guard to your mouth:

It is recommended by the manufacturer to immerse the device in boiling water so it will lose its rigidity. Once softened, put it in your mouth and bite it gently so it will take roughly the shape of your mouth. After a few minutes, the mouth guard will resume its rigidity but will retain the given shape.

Unfortunately, the resistance of such a product can be compromised because the thickness of the protector may not be uniform. Also, because it is not perfectly well-adjusted to the mouth, this category of protector does not provide good retention.