Spit or Swallow?

Spring Green SISU Mouth Guard

When I first started skating, I had an el cheapo mouth guard that had a strap attaching it to my helmet, that way I could spit it out as often as possible and not lose it.  The mouth guard was so thick it was impossible to be understood, and sometimes it even messed with my breathing and made me gag.  I would spit out the mouth guard any time I didn't need it because it was so uncomfortable.  I thought there must be something better out there.

My league got a dentist as a sponsor and we were able to get professionally made mouth guards for a nice discount and when I started wearing that guard, I thought it was the bees knees.  Yet it was still fairly expensive, thick enough to make it difficult to understand me when I spoke, and still made me gag once in a while.  That all changed when I  went to RollerCon a couple years ago and found the SISU (formerly Protech Dent) mouthguard.

Forming a SISU Mouth Guard

The SISU mouth guard is different from any other mouth guard on the market.  It requires very hot water to mold to your mouth, it comes completely flat and has little holes in it, it comes in adult and youth sizes, and you can choose from 2 different thicknesses.  There are spots in the middle that don't have holes where you put your teeth while forming the rest of the guard around your teeth with your tongue and upper lip.  Once you have it in place, you suck until it's hard (hee hee).  If you can flip the guard out with your tongue, you will need to do it again and suck harder.  If you mess up, all you have to do is put it back in hot water to soften it up and do it all again.  SISU has a great how-to video that helps first timers a lot.

Unlike other mouth guards, the SISU guard is hard plastic which has been scientifically proven to protect against concussions better than their competitors.

Here are the pros and cons that I've experienced with the SISU 1.6 mouth guard over the past 2 years:

Pros:

• Super thin so it is easy to communicate without spitting everywhere
• Cheaper and more comfortable than professionally made mouth guards
• So comfortable I forget I have it in my mouth
• Can easily drink without taking it out
• Wide range of colors to choose from
• Lasts longer than soft mouth guards

Cons:

• Can be difficult to mold correctly (took me 2 times to get it right)
• Takes a little while to get used to the hardness
• I would love to see some glitter or swirly colors

Some skaters have had an issue with the plastic taste of the mouth guards, fortunately SISU listened and created the LYFT flavor spray.  Don't let the tiny bottle fool you, all you need is a tiny spritz from about a foot away and your mouth guard will smell and taste like peppermint for about 2 weeks.  I didn't have an issue with how my mouth guard tasted, but now that I've tried the LYFT spray I'm hooked.  The mint flavor isn't too sweet and I have a feeling my little bottle will last about a year, even with me going around spraying my teammates' mouth guards.

I rate the SISU mouth guards so highly that they are the only mouth guards I carry in my shoppe.  I'm convinced that you will love them too, so I'm offering my readers an exclusive $5 off coupon when you order a SISU mouthguard, LYFT flavor spray, and Shock Doctor mouth guard case.  Just add at least one of each of these items to your order at www.2N1SkateShoppe.com, then use the offer code "gspot" when checking out.  This offer only lasts until February 14th and while supplies last!

Shock Doctor Mouth Guard Case

Just a reminder that we will be giving away a few pairs of socks to one of our blog subscribers, so if you haven't already, enter your e-mail address into the little box on the upper right hand corner and you will be entered into the drawing.


Until We Skate Again,
Shocker