Hey guys, Today's review is on Faction Mouthguards Custom fit......well Mouthguards of course. Faction offers three levels of protection and customization ranging from $85 to $125. This is quite a bit cheaper than most custom mouthguards and they do not charge extra for certian designs, shipping, or logos like some companies. Everything is included depending on which level of protection you want. Some companies actually charge you to NOT put a logo on your mouthguard. I found that to be a little on the crazy side. Enough rambling here is a bit of info on the custom mouthguard process.
Custom mouthguards are generally made by pressure laminating two or three layers of EVA together under heat and vacuum. EVA is a copolymer that is also known as expanded rubber due to its shock absorbing capabilities. It is estimated that 90% of all mouthguards in sports are of the boil n' bite variety. Desipte scientific studies showing that Bn'B guards CAN NOT offer anywhere near the same protection of a custom mouthguard. A custom fit guard can greatly reduce your chances of injuries ranging from gum lacerations to concussions or TMJ. Faction's mission is pretty straight forward "To rid the sports world of boil and bite mouthguards..". On with the review!
So the impression kit arrived in just a couple of days after it was sent out. Inside the box there is a sealable clear plastic bag, info sheet for custom design and personal info, two different sized mouth trays, and four separate molding putty containers. Before the Kit arrived I recieved an email from Brian telling me to watch the directional video on how to do the impression. The video is easy to follow and in my opinion a must to ensure a good impression. I picked out the mouth tray that was the right size for my mouth and I mixed all four of the molding putties together until they turned one color. The putty is very soft and easy to work with, almost enjoyable....like playing with Play Dough as a kid. Anyway I put the putty as evenly as I could into the tray and pressed the tray up and into my mouth as the video instructed. The material sets quite fast which is a good thing because I was starting to drool pretty good there near the end. I rinsed off the impression filled out my custom design form and sealed all the contents up in the plastic bag and mailed it out.
The Look:The Elite mouthguards arrived to my house in about a week, The Designs are exactly as requested. The words are perfectly aligned and look great. The outside looks glossy and really makes the lettering pop. I did not get anything too crazy but Faction can put pretty much whatever you want on your mouthguard. Just check out www.facebook.com/pages/Faction-Custom-Fit-Mouth-Guards/89247425665#!/pages/Faction-Custom-Fit-Mouth-Guards/89247425665to see some completed mouthguards. I don't think I have ever wanted to stick something into my mouth so bad that was not food(No Homo).
But Does It Fit?: In one word, absolutely. In several, I really like how Faction's guard comes up quite high on the gums. They have a notch to accommodate your upper labial frenulum. No that is not something dirty, it is the piece of skin that connects your upper lip to your gums. The benifit of this is it allows for much greater protection for your teeth and gums. The mouthguard tapers as it goes upward to ensure a very comfortible fit. It is placed easily in the mouth and takes some pressure to pull it out of your mouth, which is a good thing. The mouthguard has no odor or taste which means it is not made with any cheap or potentially hazardous materials. As I said before It is very comfortable and is easy to talk and breath with the mouth guard in place. The mouthguard does not shift, loosen or irritate what so ever.There is also an option for a lower bite impression if you wish. These mouthguards are very streamlined and honestly fit better and rides higher on the gums than the mouthguard from my dentist.
Overall Experience: From inital ordering, impression and final product I have to say it was very easy and problem free. I must have sent Brian half a dozen emails full of random questions and he was incredibly helpful and usually responded with in a matter of hours. To me that type of customer service alone merits high marks but couple that with a great product and in my opinion you have just about the best customer experience one can get. There are many options out there for your Gumshield needs but I whole heartedly recommend Faction if you are in the market for a great Mouthguard and awesome service.
The kit:
Putty in Tray:
Side View:
Impression:
Ready to Go Back:
