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BJJ is a sport where strikes aren’t really exchanged, and it is much safer compared to most other full-contact martial arts and combat sports. But that doesn’t mean accidents aren’t prone to happening, like every other full-contact martial arts BJJ also comes with accidents whether it be during practice sessions or competitions.
And the best way to go about this is by properly protecting yourself against injury. One of the most injury-prone areas of your body would be your mouth, but people often tend to forget that or skip over it. A simple slip of hand or limbs might just result in the loss of a few teeth.
That’s why for you, today we have scoured the internet to find a few of the best BJJ mouthguards out there to keep you protected and do your training or fight in a competition without worrying about protection.
Playing any kind of sport or martial arts requires proper safety. Training in the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu regularly for a long period of time definitely does give you a huge improvement in your tactical and technical progress but it often does make you realize that you are in fact in need of some protective gear.
The concerning fact about most martial arts involving the grappling technique like Jiu-Jitsu, for example, makes almost all of our body susceptible to injury, and to protect ourselves from that we need proper protective gear.
Our mouths are one of the most vital parts of our body, hence it needs to be protected from any kind of injury that may come from BJJ. Therefore, what we need is a reliable, comfortable, and durable mouthguard to protect our mouth from any injury or serious accidents, making it that much of an important step to sit down and select a good one, especially if you’re playing professionally as a competitor.
If you’re also looking for some protection around the groin, check out our review of the groin cups.
There are a few things that need you to take into consideration while purchasing a mouthguard for yourself. No one wants a defective or uncomfortable piece of gear that’s supposed to be protecting you.
To get things started, we need to first understand a few things about mouthguards and check why some are better than others, in terms of fitting, reliability and protection, and many other aspects.
There are mainly two types of mouthguards, ones that provide protection for our upper teeth and gum, these are the ones we usually see and use. And there are ones that provide you complete protection, known as double protection mouthguards.
Mouthguards are a piece of protective gear that provide protection mainly to your teeth and your gums, they’re flexible and can be custom fitted. There are many kinds of mouthguards available in terms of fitting, custom made mouthguards, stock mouthguards, and also boil-and-bite mouthguards.
Stock mouthguards are generally made of rubber and are available in just one shape, making them very uncomfortable to wear. Boil-and-bite mouthguards are normally made with a thermoplastic material (EVA) and they require some molding to get the right fit, they’re easy to use and are often the ones used by grapplers. Custom ones certainly don’t come in for cheap and often require dentist assistance since the complete mold of your mouth is necessary and there’s a lot of factors like your age, gender, and even your teeth and the shape you are to take into consideration while making it, thus making it expensive but still a great choice if you want to get a mouthguard with proper fitting all the way around your mouth.
And for people who have braces or other orthodontic gear, there are companies who do make mouthguards for people with braces and such, though they might be pricey they’re definitely worth it if you want to consider BJJ and have braces. People with braces need to have a mouthguard on at all times without any exceptions.
There are also innovative mouthguards available made with an acrylic material featuring a gel filling for better protection.
Mouthguards should be worn both during training and in competitions, even though it’s not always necessary during training apart from when you’re sparring (also known as rolling in BJJ). Since they’re usually a bit uncomfortable at first and need a bit of getting used to, it’s always a good idea to put them on even when training.
When choosing a mouthguard for yourself make sure to check if it’s properly breathable and if you can speak clearly with it on, a level of comfort that’s good for you, this is of extreme importance and necessity while associating in a contact sport such as BJJ.
You need to look out for the fitting as well, if the mouthguard isn’t covering everything in a fixed and smooth way then it’s certainly not a great choice. It needs to be tasteless and odorless and must be made from a material that doesn’t allow it to deform easily. Most importantly, it needs to stay fixed even when you’re moving about very fast and making the fastest possible movements.
There are a lot of benefits that wearing a mouthguard gives you, protection from chipped teeth, bone damage, and even root, which is why it’s a great idea to include a BJJ mouthguard during regular training as well.
A mouthguard doesn’t just protect your teeth but it also protects the soft tissues in your mouth, your lips, cheeks, and tongue against your teeth since they’re certain to cause wounds and tears when bumped into each other, which would definitely not be a good look for your mouth.
They can also be a lifesaver in the sense that they prevent direct hard and violent contact against your upper and lower jaw, which could cause serious injuries like concussions and even potential jaw fractures or bleeding inside the brain. Exactly why you should get the very best BJJ mouthguard available and consider nothing else since it’s for your safety.
To sum it up, the key features a top BJJ mouthguard has and you should look for in one are:
There’s no real reason why you would want to have a BJJ mouthguard if it just feels like something being jammed inside your mouth and it also needs to be breathable in order for you to wear it comfortably. You need to ensure sufficient calmness of your nerves and you need to keep your breathing patterns in a line. All the more reasons as to why you need to get yourself used to wearing a mouthguard by using it even while training.
And now with all that set straight and explained, without further ado let’s dive into our selection of some of the best mouthguards available to protect you whether you just like to roll or get into fierce competitions, fear not for we have only the best ones here to guarantee your protection to a T!
Starting the list off with a set of strapless mouthguards. The Shock Doctor Double Braces are perfect for athletes who want complete protection of both their upper and lower teeth. It is comforting to wear and provides protection to your jaw from any damages that you might take. It can easily adapt to any changes in your mouth as brackets and can teeth can be adjusted. This mouthguard is made purely out of silicon and has tiny holes to provide airflow ventilation. It fits in your mouth easily and doesn’t require to be boiled for reuse.
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Venum is a company that most grapplers and mixed martial artists know of, at least if they’ve been in that line of sport for long enough. Venum makes mouthguards and even other equipment specifically designed for mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and that’s just what we need. This mouthguard features Venum’s Next fit Gel Frame which allows you to have better fittings and adjustments and overall provides you with great comfort around your teeth while wearing them. This is a great choice if you’re getting into tough competitions where breathing is one of the most important things to win.
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Another great option from Venum, the Venum Predator Mouthguard comes with a special XT frame which makes it feel a lot smoother feeling and better adjustability in your mouth. This mouthguard is crafted to let the fighter have easy breathing while fighting. The high-density rubber frame provides you with enhanced shock management. It is really comfortable to wear and it’s advanced design makes it suitable for most extensive and brutal sports. It is highly durable and has an advanced breathing channel.
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This mouthguard is a potentially very durable guard. It can greatly minimize the effects of strong impacts and hard strikes. SISU made this mouthguard with a motto of “More Protection, Less Mouthguard,” which is usually the kind of mouthguard found at use in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. They’re produced in the USA, they designed and engineered this mouthguard to be able to fit in the category of both your regular boil mouthguards and also a dentist mouthguard. It is really comfortable to have on and allows you to breathe, talk, drink and move your jaw as well really easily. In fact, SISU is so confident in their product that they promise to cover your dental bills if you happen to break a tooth while having the Aero Guard by any chance.
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This mouthguard by Sanabul is a boil and bite mouthguard that provides a lot of benefits to grapplers. The airflow technology in these guards are one of the main features of this. This mouthguard gets an unfair advantage over most others since it lets you trim off any of the unnecessary parts after you’re done boiling and molding it, making it feel like it’s not even there, whereas most other big and bulky mouthguards may often trigger your gag reflex. Sanabul makes it so that this mouthguard is extremely easy to keep clean and maintain so it’ll be fresh and be ready for your next role.
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If you were under the impression that Under Armour is only good for making rash guards, think again. The Under Armour “ArmourFit” is one of the best protective dental gear you can find on the market. Under Armour has taken almost everything into consideration and put a lot of work in this mouthguard so it does bother you and fits perfectly around your jaw. It gives you the dentist-like fit that people want. This mouthguard is incredibly thin but still really durable and optimized to ensure uninterrupted airflow even when you’re dead tired. It is really easy to mold and can withstand multiple remoldings if needed.
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You might not have heard about ProDefenda even if you’ve been a grappler for a while now, but in all fairness, to you, ProDefenda isn’t really a big BJJ company, at least not as much Venum or Under Armour in that matter. Even though they’re not as big, they do manage to make some mean mouthguards.
The ProDefenda Double Layered comes in a simple black and white design, it is fairly thick which means it does a good job at protecting those teeth and gums. The thing that makes ProDefenda a good contender for our list is that it doesn’t just offer protection but also allows circulation with its built-in airflow device at the back that lets air circulate freely without interruptions.
If you’re an active competitor of BJJ or to be honest any kind of combat sport, this mouthguard is definitely worth considering.
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You would of course need to take proper care of your mouthguard when you’re molding and adjusting it. This is something that sometimes professionals do wrong and in case you’re a newbie who is just starting BJJ and just don’t know how to mold and adjust your mouthguard, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
Just follow the instructions below and you should be good to go!
Step 1
Heat up a pot of water without the lid on, after it’s boiling remove it from the heat source and it keeps down for at least 30 seconds to let it cool down a bit
Step 2
Put the rubber in the hot water pot for however long it says for your mouthguard, it is generally around 90 seconds but make sure to not exceed the indicated time.
Step 3
With the hose, carefully remove the rubber from the water and place it under cold water spill for just about a second, and put it in your mouth, quickly follow up on the next step
Step 4
Use a mirror to align the mouthguard with the centerline of your upper teeth, then place the rubber carefully on all your upper teeth while tightening at the same time using a strong suction. Use your fingers to rub the face where the tire is standing and continue for at least 20 seconds
Step 5
Remove the mouthguard from your mouth and cool it for about 30 seconds under a cold-water jet
Step 6
Re-form it again by repeating the steps above if it didn’t form well on the first tr
Step 7
After everything has been done properly you can cut excess gel, that is only if it’s necessary. Make sure if you do have to do it then do it really gradually and carefully to avoid cracking the protective gel part.
Getting a mouthguard is easy but what matters more is the hygiene, you need to clean your mouthguard regularly, after every time after use just clean it with some soap. You can either air dry it or use a towel to dry it off and make sure to keep away the moisture from it when not in use.
If you are an active BJJ competitor then make sure to definitely use your protective gears on a regular basis and get used to it. Using protective gear won’t make you a better competitor but it will certainly make your road to be a good BJJ fighter much easier and less painful. So choose your protective gears carefully and start rolling!!
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I'm Timmy and I'm the chief-editor and co-founder of Jiu-Jitsu Street. You'll usually find me on the mats and also cross-training Muay Thai. Besides martial arts I'm also into functional fitness and all things health. Jiu-Jitsu Street was created to provide useful information for BJJ beginners and seasoned practitioners alike to help you on your journey and love for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Oss!
Jiu-Jitsu Street is a community of fun loving and hard rolling BJJ enthusiasts. Born out of our passion for the gentle art, we have decided to create this blog and help you on your journey. Let’s grow and learn together on this never-ending journey. Oss!
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