Curry's Mouthguard: Disgusting Habit or Useful Equipment?

Should you wear a mouthguard?

The answer is invariably yes. 

It’s a no-brainer. A mouthguard will protect you from injuries and keep your pretty smile intact.

But that’s not the only thing a mouthguard can do for you, apparently. 

Stephen Curry’s mouthguard ALSO helped him increase his free throw percentage.

Hold on. That sounds wayyy silly. But the claim is backed up by stats. 

Find out how a mouthguard might be helping Chef Curry at the free throw line and the real reason why you will profit from wearing a mouthguard too.

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Weird Stats: Curry & His Mouthguard

We all know Steph Curry wears a mouthguard. We know because he dangles it outside of his mouth just as much as he wears it inside of it. We also know, because he infamously launched it into the stands in Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals (That’s correct, the Finals that the Warriors blew a 3 - 1 lead).

In fact, Curry and his mouthguard are such an iconic duo that the people at The Wall Street Journal started tracking stats of Steph’s free throw percentage with and without the mouthguard dangling outside of his mouth for two whole seasons (2014-15 and 2015-16). And (drum-roll) the results showed a noticeable difference: 89.5% with the mouthguard in and 92.5% with the mouthguard dangling out. 

The numbers don’t lie: with the mouthguard dangling, Steph was the best FT shooter in the league, without it he was only 6th best. 

That’s one weird stat. 

Leaving that aside, let’s take a look at why Curry started wearing a mouthguard to begin with. It all started in 2007 during Steph’s time in the NCAA at Davidson. In a game against The Citadel, Curry gets caught with an elbow right to the mouth while defending an opposing player, John Brick. The result: Curry suffers an injury that left a lot of blood on the court and required 7 stitches at halftime.

Ouch! He states in an interview that he went and got a mouthguard the very next day and never played another game without one.

The Perks of Wearing a Mouthguard

Seeing is believing. And because there is no footage of Steph getting rocked, we've provided you with a whole series of NBA players who, unfortunately, succumbed to the same fate. You don’t want to end up like these guys.

Mouthguards protect your entire mouth and jaw from impact. They’ll protect your teeth from being chipped, broken, and falling out. They prevent you from biting down on your tongue and cheeks. And they keep the bones of your jaw from becoming fractured or displaced by stabilizing the upper and lower parts of the jaw. 

That’s important. Because even though basketball isn’t technically a contact sport, it doesn’t mean you’ll be spared from getting hit in the face. Contact does take place - especially around the rim. Shoulders and elbows get thrown around during box-outs. Arms are extended during drives. And as demonstrated in the video, sometimes unexpected things just happen (Like Eric Gordon slipping and face-planting on the hardwood. Ouch!). 

In fact, studies show that basketball players have a greater risk of dental injuries than football players of all positions (a 10% incidence rate for basketball vs. 2% for football). Even though football is a contact sport. That’s because football players do wear protective gear: helmets, mouthguards, pads, ect. 

So if avoiding injury is your goal, following suit and getting a mouthguard is a wise decision. 

Mouthguard Fit

If you are indeed in the market for a mouthguard, keep in mind that all mouthguards are not made equally. There are three broad categories: 1. Stock 2. Boil-and-bite and 3. Custom-made.

Stock mouthguards are typically the least expensive. However, we don’t recommend these for basketball players, because they tend to have a loose fit, which doesn't provide the reliable protection you need for your teeth and jaw. 

Boil-and-bite mouthguards are molded to your mouth before use. These mouthguards provide a custom fit, so that your mouth is protected exactly where it needs to be. These are the mouthguards we generally recommend, as they deliver the best protection for the price. 

Custom-made mouthguards are premium guards that you have to get custom-made at the dentist. They’ll usually run you anywhere between 300 - 800€. So while they offer the best protection, we understand if you don’t want to drop that kind of money on a mouthguard. At-home boil-and-bites are a very good alternative for a fraction of the cost.

What’s crucial when choosing a mouthguard is that it's fitted to your mouth specifically. Another factor you may want to consider is breathability and communication. Some mouthguards are poorly designed and may prevent you from articulating and even from breathing correctly. That’s not something you’ll want to deal with on the court. Look for mouthguards that include features that optimize airflow.

The verdict is in. The mouthguard is a simple technology that can save you a lot of pain and money. It protects you and keeps your teeth where they're supposed to be  - and who knows, perhaps it can also increase your free-throw percentage. 

If you’re looking to invest in a mouthguard, check out our selection of professional-grade mouthguards at our online store below!