Boxing Mouthguards: How to Choose and Fit One

Buy a boil-and-bite mouthguard and fit it properly. That beats a more expensive guard fitted carelessly every time, because protection comes from how tightly it grips your upper teeth, not from what you paid.

A mouthguard does two jobs. It stops teeth breaking, which is obvious. It also cushions the jaw joint against an upward impact, which is the part people do not think about until they get caught on the chin.

How do you fit a boil and bite mouthguard?

Boil a kettle and let the water sit for thirty seconds so it is hot rather than boiling. Water straight off the boil overcooks the material and it will not hold a shape.

Drop the guard in for twenty seconds, no longer. Lift it out with a spoon, dip it in cold water for one second so it does not burn you, then push it onto your upper teeth.

Now the part everyone skips: bite down firmly and at the same time suck hard and push your tongue up against the roof of your mouth. That is what pulls the material tight to the teeth rather than leaving a loose shell. Hold for thirty seconds, then drop it straight into cold water to set.

Test it by turning your head upside down and opening your mouth. If it stays put, it is fitted.

What kind of mouthguard do you need for boxing?

For bag work and pads, none. For any sparring, a single guard on the upper teeth is standard and sufficient. Double guards that cover top and bottom exist, but they make breathing harder and most coaches will not recommend one unless you have a specific dental reason.

Gel-lined guards mould more easily than plain thermoplastic and are worth the small extra. Avoid anything with a strap unless your gym requires it, which in boxing they generally do not.

If you wear a fixed brace, do not use a standard boil and bite. Get an orthodontic guard designed to sit over the brackets, or you will damage the brace and your gums.

When do you actually need one?

The first time you spar, which for most people at a UAE gym is somewhere between week four and week eight. Your first boxing class will not involve sparring, so there is no rush to buy one before you start.

When you do start, the mouthguard comes with the rest of the sparring kit: a headguard, and gloves heavy enough to spar in. The Mulakim Guard at AED 379 is the open-face option, and the Mulakim Shield at AED 399 adds cheek protection. Which one suits you is covered in open face vs full face headgear.

How do you look after a mouthguard?

Rinse it in cold water after every session, never hot: hot water softens it and it will lose the fit you moulded in.

Keep it in a vented case, not loose in a kit bag. A guard rolling around a bag picks up whatever else is in there, and a sealed case with no vents traps moisture.

Once a week, soak it in cold water with a denture tablet or a capful of mouthwash. And keep it out of the car. A mouthguard left on a dashboard in a UAE summer will warp beyond use in a single afternoon, which is the most common way people lose theirs here.

For everything else that goes in the bag on fight night, see amateur boxing kit: what to bring to a bout.