It’s not always so easy to get your hands on the kind of equipment that professional MMA fighters are using day-to-day. Sometimes it’s down to a problem of getting the same quality, and other times just plainly an issue with the price.
Thankfully, Impact Mouthguards came along and offered a custom mouth guard solution that any amateur fighter can get, and at a very reasonable price range.
In this article, I’m going to share my full Impact Mouthguards review so you can decide for yourself if they’re right for you. Or just jump straight to read my final rating.
★★★★★ 5/5
America Fangs by Impact Custom Mouthguards
An industry leader mouthguard. Hundreds more patterns and colors are available.
Wear your flag’s stripes proudly with one of the highest quality, yet widely available, custom mouthguards on the market from Impact Mouthguards.
Table of Contents
Overview of the Impact Custom Mouthguards
Impact offers something that is usually difficult to get, a complete custom-fit mouth guard for your teeth to use in heavy contact sports, like sparring.
A common boil-and-bite mouthguard can only offer a fairly loose impression of your teeth because it doesn’t fully surround your teeth and gums. At best, they usually just protect the very front of your teeth. And they simply don’t fit as snug as a custom one can.
The more distance there is between the materials and your teeth, the less a mouthguard will be actually protecting your teeth or jaw from a heavy knockout blow.
A custom-fit mouthguard offers a minimal amount of space between the materials of the guard and your teeth and gums, which gives you greater protection.
And that’s where Impact Mouthguards come in. They offer a full top set (of your teeth) impression that surrounds the gums. The resulting custom mouthguard you get surrounds more of your teeth and gums, and more tightly.
A good custom fit means more protection for your jaw, teeth, and brain.
Impact Custom Mouthguards are trusted by athletes across America and even internationally, at a wide range of levels from amateur to professional by Boxers, Muay Thai fighters, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grapplers, and Mixed Martial Artists.
Better alternative to the dentist
You might have had some great custom work on your shiny white teeth, and decided to ask your dentist about their offerings for custom mouth guards to ensure you’re getting the maximum protection.
It’s a smart idea until you ask about the price. For many people, their dentist will offer them an insane cost for all the steps to getting your customized mouth guard.
You could even be given a price that is much higher than actually replacing any teeth that get knocked out! If it seems more affordable to just replace your teeth, then what’s the point of the dentist’s custom mouthguard?
DIY teeth impression at home
Luckily, Impact Mouthguards offer a Do-It-Yourself at-home option where you can get a great teeth impression by yourself.
Impact Mouthguards send an impression kit to your door, which includes two sets of molding putty. By giving you two sets of putty, you’ll get a second chance if you manage to mess up the first impression.
Thankfully, though, you’ll likely find it easy enough to follow the instructions and get a great impression on the first try.
Once you send the impression back to Impact, they’ll keep it on file for you. So you only need to do it once, unless something significant changes with your teeth.
Then whenever you need a new custom mouthguard, you can contact Impact to get a replacement whenever your current one gets worn down.
After sending your impression to Impact, you can expect your new custom mouthguard in the post within about 10 days.
Sometimes it can come much sooner, as short as a week, but Impact typically guarantees the 10-day delivery.
Who needs a custom mouthguard
If you’re a practicing martial artist, boxer, wrestler, or even studying jiu-jitsu then I’m sure you will have felt the sting of a fist, elbow, or even the hard ground meeting with your face. It’s not so fun.
Particularly not fun is when you think about the damage you could cause to your pearly whites.
But protecting your teeth and jaw is more than just about your teeth, it is really important to think about protecting your brain from any potential concussions.
In the early days of your training in any martial art, you’re not so l likely to take a hit to the mouth or face because the intensity level will be much lower.
But the moment you get involved in even light sparring (or rolling for my Jitsu friends), you should wear at least a boil-and-bite mouthguard at the minimum.
But as I’ve already described, a boil-and-bite mouthguard just isn’t going to cut it for regular use. They’re really not comfortable enough to wear in BJJ rolling or even wrestling for sustained periods, and the protection level you’ll get is sub-par.
If you’re taking your training to a “next level” with sparring, or regular practice, get a custom mouthguard as soon as you can. I have no doubt you’ll notice it paying off the moment that elbow or knee meets your jaw.
The Impact Mouthguard offers exactly what you need for this kind of training.
Impact Mouthguards Pros and Cons
You’re probably thinking that the Impact Custom Mouthguards sound too good to be true? Well, every great product still has its downfalls.
Let’s look at some of the things you might want to consider for and against them:
Pros
- Market leader for custom mouthguards for martial arts
- High professional quality, but still affordable
- Much cheaper than the dentist custom option, with the same quality
- Almost limitless customization and color options
- Do the impression once, and they keep it on file for easy replacements
- Works even if you have missing or crooked teeth
- Mouthguard materials are Hypoallergenic BPA Free
- Impact offers a 2-Day lab service if you need it quick
Cons
- A lot more expensive than boil-and-bite mouthguards
- You could instead buy a boil-and-bite at a local sports store within the hour
- The entire impression process and delivery could take up to 14 days
- You probably can’t take your impression to a different brand if you wanted to
- It will wear down quicker if you’re an obsessive chewer
- It isn’t suitable for people with braces
Impact has pretty much handled every question about their guards in their FAQ in case you had any additional concerns that we haven’t answered for you here.
One of the biggest detractors here might be that if you have braces, Impact’s custom mouthguards are not suitable for you. But they do offer a QuickFIT boil and bite mouthguard that is suitable for people with braces.
Keep your Impact custom mouthguard clean
If you’re training and sparring regularly, then you already know it can get pretty sweaty when putting in the work.
There are bodily fluids flying everywhere and you’ll likely take your mouthguard out regularly to have a break, drink water, and talk to your training partners.
Luckily Impact custom mouthguards alleviate a lot of these problems, as they are so comfortable to wear that you usually won’t feel the need to take them out of your mouth.
You can breathe clearly, take a sip of your water, and even speak without too much issue whilst wearing this mouthguard. The materials are thin enough and fit in such a way that it doesn’t stop your usual mouth functions.
But if you want your mouthguard to last for a long time, or you’re particularly Hygenic then a mouthguard health spray will help calm those worries.
You’ll want to get a mouthguard cleaning spray that eliminates 99.9% of harmful bacteria.
A good mouthguard cleaning spray contains no harmful chemicals like alcohol or peroxide. And it’s easy to use because it’s in a bottle form. So whenever you take out your mouthguard rinse it with some clean water and then finish off the disinfecting with a couple of sprays.
You don’t need to rub or scrub your mouthguard with using a spray, either, as it’s just sprayed and put back in its container to dry out cleanly.
Click here to find a suitable mouthguard cleaning spray on Amazon.
If you’re going to spend the money on getting a custom mouthguard, then I recommend adding this to your purchase because you’ll likely need it after a few uses when the paranoia sets in. Keeping your mouth clean from bacteria is always a good thing!
Alternatives to Impact Mouthguards
While Impact Mouthguards are a solid option to choose for your mixed martial arts training, there are other alternatives on the market.
One of the main competitors is Gladiator Guards which also offers a reliable service.
I’ve already written an article comparing Impact Mouthguards Vs. Gladiator Guards if you want to know more.
Choosing a mouthguard for combat sports is essential to go after a reputable brand. While there are plenty of boil-and-bite guard options, only a custom guard will give you the appropriate protection you need. So pick wisely.
Impact Mouthguards Review: Final Rating
★★★★★ 5/5
Octopus Guard by Impact Custom Mouthguards
Flex your tentacles with this Octopus version; tons more styles are available.
It’s a leading custom mouthguard that will protect against impact to the jaw. Don’t cheap yourself on anything less!
| Feature | Rating |
|---|---|
| Protection | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Comfort | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Material quality | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Flexible materials | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Using for Boxing | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Using for Muay Thai | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Using for BJJ | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Using for other contact sports | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
The Impact mouthguard offers something that most mouthguards simply can’t, which is that super-snug fit to your individual set of teeth.
With that kind of protection, you’re going to have a much happier time rolling on the mat in BJJ, grappling with your sparring partner, or taking an accidental elbow to the face.
Going direct to Impact mouthguards usually offers a better price and the most optimum experience for getting your impression kit, posting it off, and receiving your custom guard in the mail.
Considering the limited options out there for a custom-fit mouthguard, and at this level of quality, I think Impact Mouthguards is a perfect option if you’re planning to go heavier in contact sports like fighting. Better to be safe than sorry, your teeth will thank you!
