[SamuraiBlack]

Originally Posted by Zambonipilot

SamuraiBlack a brief explanation of how the custom works. The mouth is a rear hinged devise much like a door. If you place a pencil between the the back of the door and the door jam then close the door you will notice that the rear (near the hinges) is open the amount of the thickness of the pencil, however the part of the door with the handle is open several feet.

The same principal works with a mouthguard, if the guard is 4-5mm thick throughout ( over the edges of the front teeth as well as the bitting surfaces of the back teeth) the thickness at the back of the mouth will open the front of the mouth at a ratio of about 3 to 1. For every 1mm you open the rear of the mouth you open the front 3mm, so no matter how tight you clench the front will always hold open a breathing space.

I prefer Gladiator as they have the longest track record in the business and excellent reputation for customer service. As well as being less expensive than other providers.

The theory makes perfect sense, but I have read a few posts in a couple of the custom mouthguard threads that state the person who bought a custom said that they couldn't breathe very well at all when their jaw was clinched, maybe their guard was thinner. It just comes up so rarely that I could never find a good answer.

[Gustavo Lopez]

Originally Posted by SamuraiBlack

I'm not reffering to breathing through my mouth with my mouth open (K.O. waiting to happen for sure), with a double you can breathe through your mouth the whole time your jaw is clenched.

My argument/question is how are custom singles (no matter how well they fit) considered safer and all around better than doubles if you have to open your mouth to get any decent amount of oxygen in? You say that you can breathe through your mouth with your jaw clinched wearing a custom single, then that sounds like it works for you, but it seems to work on a case by case basis because I've read on here that a lot of people can't (I sure couldn't breathe through my mouth very well wearing a BnB single with my jaw clinched).

To address the breathing through your nose thing, I do breathe through my nose as much as I can but there comes a point when you have to suck in more air than your nose will allow, unless your cardio is worlds above mine (which is entirely possible, I'm not out of shape but I'm not in excellent shape either). Whenever I see guys with custom singles (or any singles for that matter) training/fighting there inevitably comes a point where they open their mouth to suck in a lot of air at once, leaving them open for a lot of damage. I've never really had that problem wearing a double, I can get enough air the whole time through my nose and mouth to not make me un-clinch my jaw.

This is just something that I have been wondering about that never really gets addressed in the custom mouthguard discussions because I've been considering buying one.

Ohhh OK I got what your saying, I thought you meant breathing through your mouth with your mouth open. Well it's not really a better cardio it's just the way they taught me to breathe during a fight or sparring. Breathe in through the nose and out my mouth when I throw my punches and kicks. If I feel I need more oxygen, I don't know if you ever seen Miguel Cotto in between rounds he breathes in hard with his nose. That's the style of breathing they taught me, but it's whatever works for that certain fighter.

[SamuraiBlack]

Originally Posted by Gustavo Lopez

Ohhh OK I got what your saying, I thought you meant breathing through your mouth with your mouth open. Well it's not really a better cardio it's just the way they taught me to breathe during a fight or sparring. Breathe in through the nose and out my mouth when I throw my punches and kicks. If I feel I need more oxygen, I don't know if you ever seen Miguel Cotto in between rounds he breathes in hard with his nose. That's the style of breathing they taught me, but it's whatever works for that certain fighter.

I feel you, I try to breathe through my nose as much as possible, but I do have to take a few deep breaths through my mouth when I'm really winded. Apparently if your custom single guard is thick enough you will have a breathing channel in your mouth when clinched, that was my only concern. Thanks for the help fellas.

[Zambonipilot]

I have read a few posts in a couple of the custom mouthguard threads that state the person who bought a custom said that they couldn't breathe very well at all when their jaw was clinched, maybe their guard was thinner.

Most likely they boiled the biting surface of the guard and put a lower imprint into the guard. this is ok if the guard was designed to do that, if not when you bite into the guard you begin to close the breathing space until you get the imprint of the lower front teeth which means you have completely closed off the breathing space. Gladiator has a guard called the combat that was designed for MFS fighters in the IFL that adds extra material so you can place a lower imprint into the guard without closing the breathing space. I think there maybe a review of it in the review sub forum of the G and E forum .

[ksatriya57]

the top one only is better according to the boxing coach at my gym
the top and bottom one brings your jaw forward a little and thus you can be a tiny bit more susceptible to a knockout this way
also i find the top one is waaaaay easier to breath with

[Zambonipilot]

Originally Posted by ksatriya57

the top one only is better according to the boxing coach at my gym
the top and bottom one brings your jaw forward a little and thus you can be a tiny bit more susceptible to a knockout this way
also i find the top one is waaaaay easier to breath with

Your coach actually has this one backwards, by moving the jaw slightly forward the guard opens a space at the jaw /skull junction making a KO slightly less likely. However all mouthguards of appropriate thickness accomplish the same thing without effecting the ability to breath.

[fightingrabbit]

Originally Posted by SamuraiBlack

But can you breathe through your mouth at all when your jaw is clenched?

Actually Samurai, the guy that made it only put 5 little holes in the front for airflow, As opposed to the big air slot you get with the boil and bite doubles. And to be honest not much air goes in and out, or it goes out slowly as if im breathing through some straws.. I tried running with it the other day and its not too bad, but I honestly coulda done with more than 5 little pin sized holes for air. It might be good for my cardio, but when it comes down to a fight, i dont know if it'll be a problem. But now that i really think about it, If i gassed and needed to inhale through my mouth, I could do it, but i'd just have to lower my bottom jaw more as this thing is bulky. Then my opponent would tell easily that im gassing and he'd have an even better chance of fucking up my jaw. So really my only option is to have some kind of ungodly conditioning where i only breathe in and out my nose

Btw do you have a custom yourself? Because i got a question for people taht do. Does yours taste like the minty filladent material they used to take imprint of your teeth? Because mine has bitter taste that doesnt seem to leave or wash off the mouthpiece. It might be the material itself though. Anyone know how to get rid of it?

[SamuraiBlack]

Actually I didn't even mean to ask you that question Rabbit, I must've had a brain fart because you said earlier that you had a custom double, my bad. No I don't have a custom yet, I've been going back & fourth over the whole issue, but this thread has given me some answers that I've been looking for.

I've been wondering about the tiny breathing holes in the custom doubles BTW, I've only seen a couple pix of custom doubles and the holes seem to be exactly what you describe. That seems to counter the reasons why I like doubles, I get plenty of air through my Brain-Pad clinched.

Do you think that if you used an exacto knife to make the holes bigger like you said that it will compromise the integrity of the guard?

[SamuraiBlack]

Originally Posted by Zambonipilot

I have read a few posts in a couple of the custom mouthguard threads that state the person who bought a custom said that they couldn't breathe very well at all when their jaw was clinched, maybe their guard was thinner.

Most likely they boiled the biting surface of the guard and put a lower imprint into the guard. this is ok if the guard was designed to do that, if not when you bite into the guard you begin to close the breathing space until you get the imprint of the lower front teeth which means you have completely closed off the breathing space. Gladiator has a guard called the combat that was designed for MFS fighters in the IFL that adds extra material so you can place a lower imprint into the guard without closing the breathing space. I think there maybe a review of it in the review sub forum of the G and E forum .

I actually refferenced that exact guard in one of my previous posts in the thread

Now I'm curious, are there custom singles that aren't designed for you to put your lower impression in? Wouldn't that just make it open season on your jaw getting rocked from side to side? That's like having 5 point seat belts in your car that aren't attached to anything.

[SamuraiBlack]

Originally Posted by Zambonipilot

I have read a few posts in a couple of the custom mouthguard threads that state the person who bought a custom said that they couldn't breathe very well at all when their jaw was clinched, maybe their guard was thinner.

Most likely they boiled the biting surface of the guard and put a lower imprint into the guard. this is ok if the guard was designed to do that, if not when you bite into the guard you begin to close the breathing space until you get the imprint of the lower front teeth which means you have completely closed off the breathing space. Gladiator has a guard called the combat that was designed for MFS fighters in the IFL that adds extra material so you can place a lower imprint into the guard without closing the breathing space. I think there maybe a review of it in the review sub forum of the G and E forum .

I actually refferenced that exact guard in one of my previous posts in the thread

Now I'm curious, are there custom singles that aren't designed for you to put your lower impression in? Wouldn't that just make it open season on your jaw getting rocked from side to side? That's like having 5 point seat belts in your car that aren't attached to anything.