When it comes to any sport, it can be difficult choosing what equipment you use. If you are in the boxing community, you may already understand how annoying wearing a mouthguard can be. With mouthguards being such a nuisance, do you really need to wear one in the first place?
Is it a good idea or a no-go to spar without a mouthguard? Accidents happen. Even if you are just practicing, you should ALWAYS wear a mouthguard when sparring. There are a number of benefits you achieve by wearing the proper equipment, including protecting your teeth, protecting your tongue, and reducing the probability of getting a concussion.
Luckily, if traditional mouthguards don’t work for you, there are alternatives you can look into to keep your practice as safe as possible. If you aren’t convinced just yet that you truly need a mouth guard, let’s take a more in-depth look into why wearing a mouthguard can be beneficial to your practice.
Benefits of Wearing a Mouthguard
With boxing, there are different pieces of equipment that you need to choose carefully. If you have been in the game for a while, you probably have carefully selected a pair of boxing gloves and boxing shoes. While some people feel their teeth aren’t as important, I highly suggest investing in a good mouthguard to keep your jaw, soft tissue, and your brain safer.
Protects Your Teeth from Bumping
This is the first given protection from wearing the proper gear while sparring. When someone is punching at your face full-throttle, it is all too easy to get clipped during a fight. By wearing a mouthpiece, you won’t have to worry about chipping or breaking your teeth!
You may be thinking to yourself, well I’m just doing pad work, I don’t really need to wear a mouthpiece while I do this. The truth is that accidents do happen! It’s possible that your partner could be distracted or gets a little too rough with you. Your best bet is going to be wearing the mouthguard whenever you are practicing, sparring, or not.
Protects You from Biting Your Tongue or Lips
When you are in the boxing ring, the last thing you probably want to be worried about is biting your tongue or your lips. There is one focus you should have, and that is your opponent. Remember that they are going to be focusing on several key areas on your body, your face being one.
To help give you peace of mind, you will want to consider a mouthguard to also protect you from biting down on your tongue when you are distracted. The pain caused by accidentally biting down on your tongue or lips could put you in a losing position. When you are sparring, it is better to have something else to bite down on, rather than your tongue!
Reduces Chance of Concussions
When you are sparring with a tough opponent, you may get concerned about getting knocked out. What you may not already know is that most concussions are actually caused by shock! Even if the other individual uses boxing gloves that have the proper amount of soft padding when you are sparring, you could still get a concussion if you aren’t wearing a mouthpiece.
Mouthguards can be beneficial in this aspect because they allow the shock of a hit to be dispersed.
Reduces Risk of Jaw Fractures
Another common injury in the boxing world is jaw fractures. While there is always a risk for this injury, you can prevent it from happening by wearing the proper equipment, including a mouthguard! The mouthguard is able to reduce distortion, lowering your chances of fracturing your jaw or losing your teeth.
Enhance Your Confidence
When you are boxing, it requires constant focus and confidence. If you are worried about getting your teeth bashed in or keep thinking about getting knocked out, you are not going to be entirely focused on your opponent.
Once you put the proper equipment on, this can help boost your confidence and get you mentally prepared to go into training. The best way to benefit yourself in your practice is to be 100% prepared physically and mentally.
Save Money
Last but not least, wearing a mouthguard is going to save you a lot of money! If you pay your own dental bills, you already know how expensive the dentist can be. When you get your teeth chipped or knocked out, that bill is going to be high.
Investing in a quality mouth guard can really go a long way. If your health isn’t reason enough to purchase a mouthguard, hopefully saving money will motivate you. Instead of giving your hard-earned cash to your dentist, invest in yourself and get the proper equipment you need for sparring.
Drawbacks of the Mouthguard
More than likely, you are questioning using a mouthguard because you find it more of a bother than a benefit. As noted earlier, your health should come before anything else. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t drawbacks to using a mouthguard. The key here is finding one that is going to benefit your practice, rather than distract you from your goals.
Single vs. Double Mouthguard
One of the greatest downfalls when it comes to choosing the best mouthguard is breathing and comfort. If you have tried out several types of mouthguards, you probably already know that single mouthguards are smaller and are way more comfortable compared to double mouthguards.
The issue here is that while double mouthguards are bulkier, they are much safer. When you have a smaller mouthguard in your mouth, you are more likely to open your mouth so that you can breathe. If your mouth is open, the mouthguard isn’t going to do its job, and you will probably lose a couple of teeth or get knocked out if you are hit just right.
The Best Mouthguard for Sparring
If you find yourself having a hard time finding a comfortable mouthguard, you may just have not found the best one yet! If this is the case, you may want to consider a Venum Challenger Mouthguard (link to Amazon.com).
First off, the Venum brand name is trusted among the industry. In fact, it is one of the leading MMA brands, and they sponsor some of the top fighters! One of the significant benefits of this particular mouthguard is the advanced gel frame that can fit to your mouth, rather than just buying one that is going to be too big and bulky for comfort.
On top of comfort, the mouthguard also offers exclusive breathing channels and a lower rubber frame to brake against any shockwaves when punches are thrown at your face. This is particularly helpful because the mouthguard disperses toward your strongest teeth, making it less likely for them to break when you get punched!
Finally, this mouthguard is one of the top choices because the fitting instructions are incredibly simple. All you have to do is boil some water, fit it onto your teeth, and then you are set to go!
With the proper equipment, you can step into the boxing ring confident and ready. There is no second-guessing yourself or worrying about what is going to happen to your face. Instead, your focus will be solely on your opponent, the way it should be.
If you have been searching for a better mouthguard for your sparring, I highly suggest the Venum Challenger Mouthguard. Who knows, it could be a game-changer for you as well!
