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In my 2 years of BJJ, I have had mouth guards come and go. They were always the ones that came as a flat sheet of plastic and you are supposed to soak it in hot water to fit your mouth. They look like this before they are molded:enter image description hereThey look like this after they are molded:enter image description here Recently, after I've worn mine for several minutes and I take it out, my teeth feel like there has been a lot of pressure put on them. I've tried remolding it several times, but I either feel that it doesn't fit or it is crushing and misaligning my teeth.

  • Is this normal?
  • What can I do about it without changing the mouth guard?
  • Is there a possibility that the mouth guard is actually misaligning my teeth?
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  • This is a question mostly for your dentist. It probably won't damage the alignment of your teeth, since that generally requires hard plastic fittings. You never know, though, so you can talk with your dentist to find out... But you probably already know the real answer: Just keep trying different products until one fits. Eventually you'll find something that isn't terrible.
    – Steve Weigand
    Jan 24, 2020 at 4:06

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They were always the ones that came as a flat sheet of plastic and you are supposed to soak it in hot water to fit your mouth.

I am not familiar with mouth guards that come as flat sheets of plastic. All of the ones I have used come shaped like this:

mouthguard.

You boil it, which makes it pliable, then bite into it to set for your mouth/teeth.

Is there a possibility that the mouth guard is actually misaligning my teeth?

Yes. Dental appliances are simply things you put in your mouth to apply force to your teeth. By doing this over time, a dentist (orthodontist) changes the alignment of your teeth. If you have ever had this done, it hurts enough that you may avoid chewing for a day or two after adjustments. If you were only using a mouth guard for ~10 hours a week, I would be surprised if it did much, but if your mouth guard is causing pain, I would stop using it and talk to a dentist.

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  • The link does not work on multiple connections. Try re-attaching it.
    – LemmyX
    Feb 5, 2020 at 20:54
  • What link? The image?
    – mattm ♦
    Feb 5, 2020 at 20:58
  • Yes. It says that the connection was reset.
    – LemmyX
    Feb 5, 2020 at 21:30
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This is a really difficult question to answer because it takes into account multiple things from the brand of mouthguard, the product they're made from, and most importantly your own teeth.

I gave up on mouthguards on my second pair; it not only felt weird to use during rolls, it actually felt like it obstructed my breathing, so I stopped using them even though I still frequently bite myself while rolling.

My advice: if you feel discomfort while using different mouthguards, first talk to your dentist to check there is no damage to your teeth; then ask your colleagues about brands they use and their experience.

Or try to roll without one.

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