Recently I witnessed a guy who lost a tooth during the pad work. Yes you read it right. It happened during focus mitt training not sparring. And he was wearing a nice pair of boxing shoe however he did not even bother using a mouth guard. I know that many of you also don’t have one during focus mitt session. Actually I did not have it too back in the day but that was long before I knew the amazing benefits of mouth guards. This is obviously an extreme example and when you do pad work you don’t supposed to get hit however accidents can happen especially in training which include partners.
Mouth guards can benefit you in so many ways. Let’s start with physical ones and continue with psychological benefits.
1. Protects teeth
I absolutely have the worst genetics for teeth. I have 16 cavities and my two teeth were removed from my mouth. And none of these happened during boxing training. Also my gums used to bleed all the time. Now these days I am better however I am just 26. Maybe you witnessed someone who has worse genetics than me but still I am not lucky about it.
So I am extra careful about it and always want to get the best protection possible. Your tooth can be broken, clipped or even it can get knocked out during your session. Even when you do pad work, your partner may be distracted for a second. Maybe your foot slips. So if you do training ,which requires contact, you should always wear a mouth guard.
2. Soft Tissue
This is actually directly correlated with choosing the right mouth guard. Since there are some mouth guards which are too stiff or have rough edges. These can hurt your soft tissue in your mouth. On the other hand, you won’t have these issues with quality mouth guards. Also when you get hit, it will disperse the shock so both your soft tissue and teeth will be relatively safe.
3. About Jaw Fracture and Concussion
Many concussions are caused by shocks which get to mandible. Even your partner use the right boxing gloves with 
lots of soft padding during sparring, if you don’t use a mouth guard, shock can’t be dispersed and you may end up waking at the hospital.
Jaw fractures are also very common and this injury type is reported a lot in MMA and boxing. And this can also be prevented with a mouth guard. It can reduce distortion and you will less likely to have bone fraction and concussion. If you want to read scientific explanation about it you can click here.
Also there are some mouth guards which just get amazing feedback from basically everywhere (forums, amazon verified purchases etc.). If you look for a really quality mouth guard definitely check out these best mouth guards and their features. I also used one of them and I am very satisfied with its protection and the comfort.
4. Boosts Your Confidence
Imagine that you don’t use a mouth guard during sparring and hope that nothing bad will happen. Well you may not have any injury. But this situation can lower your confidence and you won’t be %100 mentally ready for the training. And if I am not mentally ready I can just skip it. Because boxing training requires constant focus and if you want to get the benefits and improve your skills you simply need to be ready for your training both mentally and physically.
5. Saves you Money
As I said earlier I went to dentist a lot and I know how much it can cost. Sure we all love to invest for quality boxing gloves but no one seems to pay extra for a quality mouth guard. I have gone to lots of boxing gyms, regular gyms in many cities and countries. I saw many people who do MMA, boxing, kickboxing sparring sessions with a not quality one (generally boil and bite).
It is a common problem and I hope everyone will start seeing the benefits of that little equipment soon.
And if all the reasons above do not motivate you then think about in this way. It can help you to save thousands of dollars by not going to a dentist 😉
Important Note: If you wear braces or use anything which concerns your mouth, you should definitely consult your dentist and get suitable guard. Also make sure that it will protect you.
According to Bloorview MacMillan Children’s Center researches, every sport type can require different mouth guard type. So when you ride a bike or do sparring obviously same mouth guard may not give the same protection quality. Everything changes including the angle of impact, the intensity of it… So you need to choose your mouth guard for your sport type.
Final Thoughts
I know that you concern about safety and you should be. This is why many people choose boxing gloves carefully. For example many people have wrist problems (including me) so they control whether the pair has quality wrist safety features or not. We should also spend extra money on mouth guards so our teeth, jaw, soft tissues and brain will be safer. And let’s not forget that we can smile without scaring children 😉 If you have any experiences or if I missed any benefits of mouth guards, please let me know in the comment section.
Hello there,
Thank you for the great benefits that you share for wearing mouth guards.
I love boxing and I occasionally put the gloves on.
That is why I’m in a complete aware of the benefits that it has.
It is a must have and it can save lives.
I often see some guys who are neglecting its importance and I have always considered that as a weakness.
You are absolutely right man. Many people spar without mouth guards. I mean considering all benefits of it, how can a person neglect it?
It is good that you always wear one during the session. I hope more people will realize its importance.