How to Design a Mouth Guard for Fighting

When participating in contact sports or martial arts sparring, it is important to have a mouth guard that not only fits the size of your mouth but is designed to your teeth. While you can spend a lot of money on a mouth guard created by a dentist, you can design your own very quickly with one of the many molding guards you can buy at a sporting goods store.

Things You'll Need

  • Form-fit mouth guard
  • Boiling water
  • Cold water
  • Tongs
  • Clock with seconds hand
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Instructions

  1. How to Design a Mouth Guard for Fighting

    • 1

      Place the boiling water in a coffee mug. The boiling water will soften the un-molded mouth guard so that you can design it to fit your teeth perfectly.

    • 2

      Open the package with the un-molded mouth guard, and drop it in the boiling water. Keep it in there for seven seconds. Use tongs to remove the mouth guard so you don't burn your fingers. The guard itself will be warm and will not burn you.

    • 3

      Use your hand to place the mouth guard into your mouth along the upper teeth. Do this immediately after removing it from the hot water while it is most pliable. Press it firmly along the top, and hold it there while you suck out any air and water. This creates a secure fit around the teeth without any extra space.

    • 4

      Remove the mouth guard and drop it in the cold water. This will set the mouth guard.