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Mouth guard for football.

Posted on 8/16/25 at 11:06 pm
Posted by pelicanpride
Houston
Member since Oct 2007
1661 posts
Posted on 8/16/25 at 11:06 pm
My middle school son is playing his first ever year of football. He’s been complaining about the mouth guard, saying that he hates to wear it and it makes him want to gag. I’m his mama and want him to be as comfortable as possible while not sacrificing safety. Apparently the mouth guards disseminate some impact, reducing concussion risk, but only if they fit properly. The mouth guard was provided by the school, so I’m assuming it adheres to some basic standard, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t higher quality, better fitting ones available. I’d appreciate any feedback from folks who know a lot more about this than I do. Thank you.
Posted by caill430
Da Dirty Dell
Member since Jul 2005
1306 posts
Posted on 8/16/25 at 11:09 pm to
Buy a mouth guard. Warm it in water with your son. Let him help with fitting it in his mouth and setting around his teeth. Once he starts playing he is on his own with in or out.
Posted by ThomasCallahanIII
Member since Mar 2014
84 posts
Posted on 8/16/25 at 11:10 pm to
Always just boiled it in water and then bit down onto it to create a mold. Much easier to wear after that
This post was edited on 8/16/25 at 11:12 pm
Posted by ellunchboxo
G-Town
Member since Feb 2009
19255 posts
Posted on 8/16/25 at 11:10 pm to
We used to cut an inch off the back of the mouthpiece where your molars were back in the day. But that was the old yellow ones that you would boil and mold to your teeth.
Posted by Jim Rockford
Member since May 2011
104073 posts
Posted on 8/16/25 at 11:10 pm to
quote:

Apparently the mouth guards disseminate some impact, reducing concussion risk


also keeps you from biting your tongue off. It's no fun going through life without a tongue.
Posted by Giantkiller
the internet.
Member since Sep 2007
24313 posts
Posted on 8/16/25 at 11:11 pm to
Get on ChatGPT and ask what's the most comfortable/popular. Then go to Academy and pick out the best 1 or 2...
Posted by PhilipMarlowe
Member since Mar 2013
21609 posts
Posted on 8/16/25 at 11:21 pm to
I imagine you can go to the dentist and have a mold made, and they’ll send it off to be made. That way he gets one that fits perfectly..

ETA: I imagine there are services online that send you a home kit in the mail to make a mold of your teeth, you mail it back and they make a guard based on the mold. Skipping the middle man/dentist all together.
This post was edited on 8/16/25 at 11:23 pm
Posted by LemmyLives
Texas
Member since Mar 2019
12800 posts
Posted on 8/16/25 at 11:22 pm to
You AI slaves are retarded. She's asking for personal experience for a reason.
Posted by Warfox
B.R. Native (now in MA)
Member since Apr 2017
3721 posts
Posted on 8/16/25 at 11:22 pm to
quote:

We used to cut an inch off the back of the mouthpiece where your molars were back in the day. But that was the old yellow ones that you would boil and mold to your teeth.


This. Purchase a good one from Walmart or wherever, and follow boiling instructions to soften - then once he has bit down to shape - you can use a pair of scissors to trim off an inch or so, which will decrease that gag-inducing sensation. This is what worked for my son who uses a mouth guard in Jiu Jitsu.
Posted by White Bear
SPECULATION
Member since Jul 2014
17131 posts
Posted on 8/16/25 at 11:34 pm to
quote:

We used to cut an inch off the back of the mouthpiece where your molars were back in the day
I did this with the clear ones, they were way too long out of the package. Cut to comfortable length, boil to soften (but not too soft) and bite (but not too strong) to mold properly.
This post was edited on 8/16/25 at 11:35 pm
Posted by TutHillTiger
Mississippi Alabama
Member since Sep 2010
49724 posts
Posted on 8/17/25 at 12:13 am to
They are really shite. I had to do the boil method to make mine come close to being able to fit. I played 6 years of high school and college and put that mfer in my helmet cage or sock like everyone else in the 70s or 80s. (You had to hace it on your person) I honestly think you can do do without it unless he is a running back but if he has to have one make it fit and add a string to it or something
Posted by TutHillTiger
Mississippi Alabama
Member since Sep 2010
49724 posts
Posted on 8/17/25 at 12:14 am to
Also they typically get nasty as hell ans full of bacteria
Posted by Boomdaddy65201
BoCoMo
Member since Mar 2020
4059 posts
Posted on 8/17/25 at 12:15 am to
I played from 3rd grade through college, a mouth piece is essential . If you want your son to have a tongue and a full set of teeth. It shouldn’t have any bearing re: concussion safety.

It used to be a 5 minute operation of simply dipping the mouth piece into boiling water until pliable and creating a mold. Like many have mentioned you can cut off any excess plastic with a pair of scissors.

Buy multiple mouth pieces before the season starts, as one can imagine they get filthy easily. Have him keep an extra one in his bag at all times in case he takes his existing one off to clean at home and forgets to take it the next practice. Leave it sitting in mouthwash overnight or brush it like you would a set of teeth.

quote:

I’m his mama and want him to be as comfortable as possible while not sacrificing safety


Then I cannot stress enough your insistence that he wears a cup at all times, including practices.
Posted by Sidicous
NELA
Member since Aug 2015
19296 posts
Posted on 8/17/25 at 12:25 am to
quote:

I imagine you can go to the dentist and have a mold made, and they’ll send it off to be made. That way he gets one that fits perfectly..


This is the best way.

I just had my dentist make a mold to hold super concentrated prescription fluoride due to receding gums exposing a lot more tooth that my vomiting so much stomach acid discolored and softened.

They charged $125 using the same billing code as for a mouth guard mold. It fits perfectly. Mold was just like 15 minutes in the chair with a mouthful of mint paste and then a pickup the next day of the finished product.
Posted by LemmyLives
Texas
Member since Mar 2019
12800 posts
Posted on 8/17/25 at 1:02 am to
It's not hard. Use the tablets people use to clean dentures. They're cheap as hell.
Posted by stelly1025
Lafayette
Member since May 2012
9838 posts
Posted on 8/17/25 at 2:07 am to
Did you boil it and shape it to his mouth? Also tell him it is football and stop being a whiny bitch.
Posted by Fat and Happy
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2013
19386 posts
Posted on 8/17/25 at 4:23 am to
Cut it short.

Cut off like half an inch and then let him try it.
Posted by LRB1967
Tennessee
Member since Dec 2020
22787 posts
Posted on 8/17/25 at 5:27 am to
The dentist made one for my nephew. He said it fit better than the one the school provided
Posted by The Torch
DFW The Dub
Member since Aug 2014
27049 posts
Posted on 8/17/25 at 5:55 am to
quote:

it makes him want to gag. I’m his mama


You've come to the right place



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