Gumshield

Anyone wear a gum shield when sparring/competing i find im grinding / gritting my teeth.....

Not yet- I've had my dentist make one but not got round to picking it up. In the past I never could be bothered with one, but after a few knee/chin and elbow/mouth incidents, plus the fact I recently had a crown fitted, I thought it was about time I got it sorted.

Better to be safe than sorry and all that. Plus it will make me look harder than I really am.

And no, I don't mean harder in that way. That's what a box/cup is for.

Is it something you see in competitions?

Yes, though you'll find that a lot (probably most) people don't bother in BJJ/grappling comps. No matter how good the fit is, it's still going to restrict your breathing a bit.

Yeah i could see that being a problem ah well dentures for me then....

I didn't know your dentist could make gumshields... The ones I used to use for boxing were well uncomfortable and made me dribble... Are they expensive Bass?

To be honest they all make you dribble............... i got one years ago they werent that expensive.

Mine's gonna cost 20 quid I think- he takes an impression of your gob, asks you what colour you want, then tells you to come back in a fortnight.

Some of my teeth are crooked, so I thought this would be a way to get one that fits nicely. I'll let you know how good it is when I get it. And if I remember/can be arsed.

£20! Sure my dentist said it'd cost £50, and I've heard that from other people too!

No wonder your teeth are crooked dude! :-))

I've got a double sided one which houses upper and lower set. It has a breathing hole in the middle. The frightening thing about it is the sucking gurgling noises I can make... makes em think I've got rabies. Not used it for grappling tho (not sure I would).

I've never understood the two sided ones....... id imagine they would restrict your breathing even more.

no, the hole allows you to breath. The thing is that it protects your lower set or your mouth from your lower set. Also stops you licking your lips and biting your tongue off.

But a small hole to breath with obviously isn't as good as a wide gob open gasping! :-))

Is pulling tongues allowed on the mat? :-D:-p:-p

Only in Tongue Fu tournaments!

Turns out the gumshield was 35 quid (told you i remembered it wrong) and it fits like a glove. Well, a glove would fit in your mouth badly, but you know what I mean. Once in, it takes some getting out (the gumshield). Not tried training while wearing it yet though.

What do you use your gumshield for bass if not BJJ... do you do other Martial Arts?

No, I got it for BJJ (and if I decide to try any MMA). Tried it in training the other day, and it was fine. Secure, and breathing wasn't too hard.

Obtuse Question: Why is it called a gum-shield when its there to protect your teeth????

Probably the same reason why a toothbrush isn't called a teethbrush! The world's gone mad! :-p