[Adino]

Mouthguards are definitely one of the more popular topics on this forum without a doubt. So after getting knocked around in Muay Thai and a recent grappling tourney I figure it’s about time to protecting my pearly whites. I tried the boil and bite thing with a Shock Dr. and it was just not cutting it so I decided to invest in a custom guard with Protech. I figured I would go with the guy that does most of the UFC guys pieces not really knowing anything about the company or Tom. As it turns out there is a good reason why the pros go with Tom, he is awesome at what he does. I went with custom design and not a simple one as you see in the pics and I changed my mind several times on the design. Tom was great at being patient with me while he and I talked about design ideas. So when he started getting slammed with business and personal things I was happy to return the favor, after all when an MMA company experiences a huge serge in business that’s a great thing for us and the sport. So when it came time for my guard to be finished Tom called me and sent me pics of my guard in process to see if there was anything I wanted to change while he could. Tom texted me pics and called me when the guard was done and when it was shipped, he really went the extra mile. With these guards being rather expensive it is nice to know that you get awesome service to complement a high quality guard.

So that is all for my experience with Protech, not onto the guard. The first step is the molding kit. It comes with 2 trays so you can get the best fit for your mouth, and with the 2 trays some two mix kits. This was a lifesaver because I screwed up the first mix royally, but got the second mix one the money. Included are detailed instructions so you don’t have to have a dentist present to feel like you did it correct. After Tom and I got the design straight it was just a matter of time till I got my guard in my mailbox. Mine took about twice as long because of the business and personal issues that Tom was dealing with but it was well worth the wait and Tom kept me in the loop so I knew what was going on.

I ended up getting a Pro model guard; it’s the biggest of the 4 models you can choose from. If your not doing MMA or really hard striking then you don’t need anything this big, but also if you get a 3d design like I did then you might have to go with this because of the size. The 3d design is amazing, if you can't tell from the pics these look like real teeth in the mouthpiece. After I got my guard it was too tight in several places but Protech steps up and includes all the directions how to make easy fixes to get the guard perfect. After about 15 min. mine was all good and very comfortable. I really cannot compare it to my boil and bite Shock Dr. because it is that big of a difference (just look at the pics). The fit is perfect, it does not move an inch in my mouth (it takes a good firm pull to get it out), and it is not too big or bulky. Well that’s about it, if you have any questions please feel free to ask.

http://www.protechmouthguards.com/

Front pics of the guard:



Here is the inside, hard to see the detail but it’s a perfect impression of my teeth:

[Adino]

Here are some pics next to my Shock Dr. just to give you an idea of how different these really are:

[Lucky Strike]

Damn! Those teeth look real......what was the final cost on that?

[GSPFAN291]

Very nice, I think Im gonna get a custom soon

[Fozzy]

looks pretty tight adino!

I think me and Tom will do a hybrid pink-camo on mine when the impression kit gets here, booya!

~Foz

[NoiSe]

That's a wicked design! Looks good

[Adino]

Originally Posted by Lucky Strike

Damn! Those teeth look real......what was the final cost on that?

Here is the price breakdown for all the variations you can get:
http://www.protechmouthguards.com/pro.htm

[alphafvIII]

Good review Adino. I don't want to steal the thunder from your review, but I've got a fairly similar experience, so I thought I'd share.

I just got my guard from Protech at the end of last week. Like Adino, I had to wait longer than expected for mine, and although there was a period (about 2 weeks) of no contact, Tom was pretty good about letting me know what was going on (I say this acknowledging the personal and company issues he was trying to deal with). Despite that, I think the guard was well worth the wait.

I didn't go for any crazy design, I just wanted something to protect my teeth properly, so I went with the clear, fusion guard.

The fit to the top teeth is perfect. I had two areas that were too tight, and like Adino, following Protech's instructions seemed to fix the issues without much hassle.

It's amazing was how well the guard stays in. It takes effort to get off of your teeth, so I can't possibly imagine this thing falling out. The difference between it and the Shock Doctor guard - yes I was using the same thing Adino was - is night and day. The Shock Doctor, although fitting to my teeth better than any other boil and bite I've used, still wouldn't stay fit in my mouth completely unless clenching my teeth, and it was alot bulkier. The Protech pops right in and does not move from the top teeth.

I would recommend Protech guards. Yes it was expensive, and seemed crazy to spend that much on a mouthguard, but when you really think about what you're getting, it's well worth it. Spending more now for the guard is alot better than dropping a ton of money later on dental bills because of a boil and bite that just didn't fit right.

[alphafvIII]

I thought I'd clarify one thing, so the question isn't raised.

When I say the Shock Doctor is bulkier than the Protect, I am talking about the thickness. Yes the Protech is higher up on the gums - this is part of the reason it stays in so damn well.

If you looks at the pics Adino posted, you can see that the outside part of the Shock Doctor looks noticably thicker than the Protect. It was probably even a little worse for me, because my bite was almost too narrow for the Shock Doctor, so my back teeth were even closer to the inside edges than what you see in Adino's pic. So that is the bulkiness I am referring to. Not to mention, the fact that it didn't stay completely in place unless my teeth were clenched probably didn't help.

[koreanizm]

Tom makes the best mouthguards and has the greatest customer service. He made 2 of my mouthguard purchases a wonderful experience. His track record is great so if anyone has a question regarding tom or his mouthguards, shoot me a pm.