On Mouthguards

I practise BJJ, and i wear also one.
Punches are not allowed, but when you suffer an unvoluntary knee hit in the face, you understand quickly that this tool is enough to wrestle more sure.
As to me, this is not a faschion accessory.

Exactly. 👍

Been noticing a lot of amateur wrestlers (HS and collegiate) wearing them recently.

I'm guessing it's a trickle-down effect from boxing (where it's a necessity) to MMA (where it's necessary in the stand-up portion) to wrestlers emulating what they see in MMA/submission grappling.

I figured a lot of guys didn't use them because most brands are cumbersome; they make it hard to breathe, you can't talk, they tend to fall out...

There's a company called SISU which makes a super thin one; you can even drink around it. But it offers good protection, and had the highest dental insurance I've ever seen in a retail guard.

My policy on using my mouthguard is basically as follows. Right before the first round, I ask my opponent, with a smile: "Well, do you think I should put in my mouthguard?" If the answer is "I think you should", I definitely put it in, which is fine. Otherwise, I tend to leave it out. After all, it is cumbersome.

I always wear one, don't know why you wouldn't wear one (i box so it's way more important in my case) i wouldn't want to lose a tooth or two.

I never leave home without mine...that a hand wraps are a must.....

This is largely my thinking.

When training, I would use a double mouth guard, especially since it restricted breathing even moreso. Then when I competed in tournaments, I would use a single mouth guard.

For friendly rolls, I rarely use one although it's probably not a bad idea given the amount of orthodontic work done when younger. I can understand that having a first-time opponent put one in before a match might make one wonder just how "intense" the match might get.

I once got a nasty infection which lasted months, from a split lip... since then I never roll without a mouthguard. I was wondering if, given the nature of the site, there might be either (a) avoidance of use based on the idea that the match is going to be too intense/violent, or (b) they can be pretty uncomfortable and hard to breathe through.

So I thought I'd ask. I do think that the "stigma of intensity" is baseless; that is, a guy keeping his face safe from accidental bumps and cuts shouldn't have anything to do with what your match is gonna be like... if it does, I think that guy is probably long on "intensity fetish" and short on skills, and you might get hurt, mouthguard or no. LOL

Anyone else wanna weigh in?

I always wear one, but I explain beforehand the reason why, and that it's not (necessarily) a reflection of the intensity of the match, which goes some way to alleviate any apprehension.

Well yes. It's a bit like taking a first aid kit around with you is sensible and something that you should do.

But getting it out and unpacking it before a match might be a bit intimidating.

Bandages are first aid; the guard is preventative. :-)

Awesome, please keep the responses coming, guys!

I have a mouthguard but I don't use it in my private meets. There were some minor accidents that could have been mitigated by having it, but most of them could be mitigated by other means, such as keeping the mouth firmly shut.

On the other hand, I find that some are put off by the mouthguard. My putting it on is leading them to believe that I anticipate a level of violence that I really don't enjoy,

I understand this last point. I don't wear a mouth guard even though I have had a fat lip and chipped a tooth.

However I was at a group meeting and one guy put his mouth guard in and I was wary of him, thinking "how violent is he expecting it to get?"

I guess when we look at primates, a lot of communication is conveyed by mouth gestures and lips - I wonder if at some level a mouthguard changes the mouth to convey a primal gesture of threat.

But I do understand it's practical nature.

How many of you guys who enjoy genuinely competitive submission grappling don't use a mouthguard when you wrestle? If you don't, is it because it's uncomfortable? Also, if you don't use a guard, have you ever split your lip, bitten your cheek, etc?