Recently, one of our very own had a minor mishap while training. This inspired us to write about it and ask: Are you a martial artist that participates actively in sparring? Do you train with a mouth guard? If you do not, it is time to consider investing in one. As the old Chinese saying goes, “Hands and feet do not have eyes”.
Considering the grand scale of things, a properly fitted mouth guard is not the most difficult piece of protective gear to fit into your selection of martial arts supplies.
Wearing it can feel a little weird or uncomfortable at first. Learning to breathe while working out in one can also take some time. This small piece of plastic however has the potential to protect your martial arts path.
One of our very own in the abovementioned practices in full-contact sparring. He was put in a situation where he had to have a root canal to one of his front teeth. This was a result from a wild swinging punch that almost made him loose that tooth during a friendly sparring match. He never had the habit of using such protective gear from the beginning.
Whether you’re participating in full-contact sparring in a striking art like boxing — where your mouth and your jaw are at constant risk as part of the game — or participating in a “soft” art where an innocent slip or mistake can still knock your teeth or yourself out, mouth guards can protect your health and improve your game.
This small but vital piece of martial arts equipment can prevent everything from minor annoyances to career-threatening injuries. It can be the difference between you getting right back in the ring or having to spend months on the sidelines due to injury — or worse.
To further convince you, below are reasons you should always wear a mouth guard during martial arts training:
Protect your teeth—use a mouth guard!
One of the main functions of the mouth guard is to protect the health and condition of your teeth. Any punch, kick, or elbow you take to an unprotected mouth could cost you a tooth or more. Such accidents can also happen in grappling and non-contact combat training as well. Even if you were just holding pads, the person who is training could knock or damage a tooth or two in the process!
The best way to ensure that all of your teeth stay intact and healthy your mouth—regardless of what martial art you participate in, or what drills you might be doing—is to train with a properly fitted mouth guard at all times.
Mouth guards protect your soft tissue.
While the mouth guards protect your teeth from your training partners and opponents’ fists, shins, and knees, mouth guards are also protecting the rest of your face from your teeth. A properly fitted mouth guard, worn correctly, will cover the sharp surfaces of your teeth, preventing them from digging into your cheeks, gums, and lips if you’re hit in the face Which will, in turn, prevent any abrasions and cuts that could otherwise occur upon impact.
Aside from suffering from a dead tooth, one of our own also suffered from a lip cut in two places. These cuts contributed to the primary bleeding he suffered at that time. The cuts though healed over time, resulted in a scar tissue in the lips.
Soften the impact and reduce injuries to your jaw and its surrounding area.
The benefits of a properly fitted mouth guard does not stop at the immediate area that the guard covers. In addition to protecting your teeth, wearing one will also help to keep the bones that support them strong, safe, and in the right place. Worn correctly, a mouth guard will cushion and distribute the force of any blows or shocks to the face that you might take during training, reducing the impact to your jaw. This will help protect you against trauma to the area, like fractures and jaw displacement
Mouth Guards can also save your wallet
According to the American Dental Association, an athlete is 60 times more likely to suffer injuries to their teeth when they train and compete with an unprotected mouth than they are if they use a properly fitted mouth guard.
Like one of our very own who recently had a mishap training without one, the dental appointments can add up very quickly. Which means that an investment in this reasonably-priced piece of protective gear can end up saving you
- Thousands and thousands of dollars in emergency care and reconstruction
- The time spent going to all these consultations and sitting through these operations
- From the physical pain before and after these procedures as well as the mental agony
Just think of using a mouth guard as a long-term investment
A mouth guard is indeed an inexpensive long-term investment when weighing the potential risks of not wearing one. However, wearing a mouth guard will not necessarily guarantee that you will get off injury-free while training and competing in martial arts.
Though wearing one will not prevent you from head injuries in general as per recent studies have shown. Wearing one is still a significant insurance in your safety. It gives you a piece of mind that you have done a small part in reducing the risk of having to go through all that is listed above.
There is no point in putting yourself in higher risk when training or in a spar when your martial art road to travel is long and you are but beginning. Hence, take it from us, guard yourself well with this equipment and you will be sure to thank us in future!
