recommend a mouthguard for mtb

[djg21]

I was hit head-on by a car the summer before last. Among other things, I sustained a number of significant facial fractures. One consequence was the need for me to wear braces for a few years to re-allign my occlusion (bite).

I had a little setback yesterday in terms of my recovery. While negotiating a nasty downhill scree field on my MTB with (in retrospect) too much speed, I managed to catch my front wheel and endo. I did a perfect faceplant, landing on my face, and I catching a mouthful of rock.

While my face and teeth are OK, the braces did a number on my lips, and my brace wires were bent badly and must be replaced.

I'm now considering using a mouthguard of some sort while riding my MTB, at least until the braces are gone. I obviously need something that would not significantly impair my breathing, and that hopefully, I would not aspirate should the unthinkable happen . . . again.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

How about a full-face helmet suitable for XC riding/racing?

[swoop]

would the easy answer be to just turn your neck to the left before you hit the ground?

like... tell yourself to look at the sun instead of that spot in the dirt where your headed and send me the 2 bucks i just saved you for a mouthguard you'll likely swallow.


i saw an elderly man on the bikepath in venice today on a road bike wearing full arm guards, a chest protector and some sort of armadillo like back shield.

died of heat stroke right there. skin was good though.

[PaMtbRider]

I think a mouth guard is going to make breathing pretty hard. I would look at one of the many full face mountain bike helmets on the market. I've never wore one, but they don't look to be anywhere near as heavy as a motorcylcle full face helmet for dirtbikes.

[davids]

http://www.solarnavigator.net/images/anthony_hopkins_hannibal_lecter.jpg

[swoop]

maybe start a new gig by infusing these with gu.

[Big Daddy]

maybe start a new gig by infusing these with gu.


along Swoop's idea...they make ortho-wax that can be applied over the appliances on an as needed basis. Won't clog up the cake hole like a mouth guard will.

[gdw]

because you guys are really acting like a**holes if his question is legitimate.

[swoop]

maybe start a new gig by infusing these with gu.


he answered his own question. all the kidding has answers underneath, and its all frankly affectionate.

my question is, is it smart to ride aggressively on trail while still healing your facial injuries? why not stick to jeep trail or rock a full facial helmet?

google search full facial bike helmet... hundreds of pages.
giro remedy, bell, etc...

[BURCH]

Man, you are having some run of luck. I hope that things on the bike start going your way.

I have no experience with this, but I would check with your dentist or whoever is redoing your braces. Instead of a moutpiece like in football, they may be able to recommend or make something that comes in two pieces (one for top and one for bottom) that would not inhibit breathing too much. Otherwise, I agree that a full face guarded helmet would be a good route unless you are XC rider? Then it would be an annoying burden.

[Blue Jays]

Opt for the full-face helmet. Works like a charm for motorcyclists and (generally) for downhill riders and is also the ne plus ultra for protection.

[djg21]

Man, you are having some run of luck. I hope that things on the bike start going your way.

I have no experience with this, but I would check with your dentist or whoever is redoing your braces. Instead of a moutpiece like in football, they may be able to recommend or make something that comes in two pieces (one for top and one for bottom) that would not inhibit breathing too much. Otherwise, I agree that a full face guarded helmet would be a good route unless you are XC rider? Then it would be an annoying burden.

I expected some ribbing, so no offense is taken to any of the posts. Of course I would have turned my head if I could have, but my endo was incredibly quick, and I had no time to react whatsoever.

And yes, I can see how you might consider my luck to have been bad. I figure it was actually pretty good. I'm here, and I'm neither brain-dead nor drooling after my encounter with the blue-hair in the Mercury Marquis.
http://gallery.roadbikereview.com/data/roadbike/500/medium/Accident_Scene.jpg

And, my orthodontist told me this morning that had I not been wearing braces, I'd probably have lost my teeth in my MTB crash.

That being said, I'm serious about some sort of dental guard or full face helmet. It seems that there may be a real need for a full-face helmet suitable for X-C use. A simple Google search found references to a number of studies confirming the obvious -- that conventional bicycle helmets do not adequately protect the lower face, and that facial inuries are relatively common amongst cyclists. See, e.g., http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/276/24/1974; http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab001855.html

I've found one helmet -the MET Parachute -that looks interesting:
http://www.thecyclepeople.com/admin/pages/upload/products/parachute.jpg

However, it is not imported into the US. Does anyone have any familiarity with this thing?

[swoop]

try one of the shops in europe that sell via the web and ship to the us.
comobike.com, all4cycling.com, totalcycling.com etc...
i'll post more as i think of em.

[flux]

try one of the shops in europe that sell via the web and ship to the us.
comobike.com, all4cycling.com, totalcycling.com etc...
i'll post more as i think of em.

totalcycling.com

worst online shopping experience i have ever had.

[Dave B]

you can buy mouth guards that fit both upp and lower seperate. look to the NBA or college. Heat em up and then bite down. They conform to your bite.

The full face helmet is fine...but in true mtb flavor go with Troy Lee Designs.

They if people give you ****e say your sponsored. Mtbers are idiots we believ everything. Trust me I am one. I used to think road racers were clean and Lance was the poster child! :rolleyes:

[noflysonme]

I've read Mercury was bad for your health but I thought it took years.

I have a giro switchblade last made in 04. Some still around. Well vented cross country helmet with a detachable jawpiece.
Its not for shore style riding. The switchblade looks similar to the met but the jaw piece has substantially more material. Doesn't mean its stronger. It's also styrofoam padded.
I would prefer to faceplant with the switchblade and have my jaw hit styrofoam instead of hitting the plastic on the met. It will also protect you from the ground shrapnel that goes thru the openings in the met.

The problem with both of them is the strapping system. It doesn't matter how tight the straps are, when you faceplant the jawpiece will immediately hit your jaw. Put on your road or cc helmet. Now grab the top and yank it forward. It will move substantially.
When this happens the rest of your face rolls slightly forward into the too large opening of both
of those helmets exposing a large part of your face. So its possible to land on your face unprotected.
There is a 2.5 inch jawpiece which will hit the lower part of your jaw and a 5inch eye/face hole which is exposed. If you zapstrap the visor it will also act as a protection buffer.
So its better than a cc helmet if you insist on riding [and you probably had a freak accident] but with either of these helmets I'd say crash protection will be determined by the mood of the cycling god that day.
If you ride buff cc trails it would work well. If you ride rocky, babyhead strewn trails and you have a large nose and a cromagnum forehead then keep your fingers crossed.

The most vented dh helmet will be too hot and heavy because of the padding which encases your forehead and cheeks. Troy lee are most mx helmets with little venting.

I have seen a few of these on the shore and I have seen someone endo with one of these.
She did a simultaneous upper body and face plant landing which ended in a flip. She got up and continued ridng with no damage but I'll bet her neck hurt badly the next day.

I have a switchblade so I could send you pics if you're interested and not in a hurry. Have to borrow a camera.

Good luck.