How to Choose a basketball mouth guard

Step 1

I will talk about these mouth guards in descending order, starting with the Shock Doctor. I have never personally used this mouthguard, but I have friends who have used the Shock Doctor. Overall, the Shock Doctor is a solid mouthpiece and will undoubtedly protect your teeth in the event of a collision. It will absorb the blow from an errant elbow or a miss-timed chest pass, the only problem that I know of with these mouth guards is the fit. These mouth guards are carried by Dicks Sporting Goods and are relatively cheap and easy to buy. They claim to easily mold to your teeth, but I have spoken to people that have complained about an imprecise fit, which leads to aggregation and distraction on the court. This is not to say that your set of pearly whites will not be compatible with the Shock Doctor, but you are leaving yourself open to possibility of failure.

Step 2

The Under Armour "Armourbite Mouthguard" is similar to the Shock Doctor in the sense that it has been scientifically tested and proven to absorb the shock from a collision and will add extra security for your mouth. However, this mouthguard is made for contact and non-contact sports which may cause you a bit of apprehension in purchasing one. The mouth guard is designed to help you train more effectively by helping you conserve cortisol and increase your oxygen intake during lifting, conditioning, and practice exercises. The idea of a mouthguard that is marketed as for dual uses seems a bit suspect to me because it is not engineered for one specific use. Also, this mouthguard is slightly more expensive than the Shock Doctor and it has been known to break easily.

Step 3

Custom Mouthguards are the way to go. I have chosen to wear a custom mouthpiece since I started playing high school basketball. The best way to get a custom mouthguard is to have your dentist take a mold of your teeth and then send away for it to be made. You can also go through the internet and find reputable companies to do the same thing; for example. With your custom mouthguard you will be sure to have increased protection, comfort, and ultimately it will save you money (you won't have to pay for expensive dental bills, and you will have to replace your mouthguard less often). This is worth the investment!