Review: Shock Doctor Power Gel DNA Mouthguard

If you’re involved in contact sports, mouth guards are absolutely vital, and you definitely get what you paid for!  Although it’s possible to visit your dentist and have a custom mouth guard fitted specifically for your teeth and mouth, the process can be both time consuming and extremely costly.

I grew up wrestling, playing hockey, football, baseball and several other sports in which I’ve had to wear mouth guards.  I’ve worn many different mouth guards ranging in price from $2 all the way up to $35, and I’ve easily noticed the difference in quality of the higher-end products.

I recently started training in muay thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu again, which led me to go on the hunt for a new mouth guard that will be able to keep my mouth safe from numerous possible injuries. I purchased the Shock Doctor Power Gel DNA mouth guard see Shock Doctor on Elite MMA and figured I would share some of the thoughts about the guard.

The mouth guard has a rigid exoskeleton shell which I absolutely love — and if you’re one of those people that gnaws on your mouth guard, then this may be the mouth guard for you.  I’m rather notorious for chomping on mouth guards, and haven’t been able to gnaw my way through this mouth guard.

I’m going to try and keep this as PG-rated as possible, but in simplest terms, if you have problems with a gag reflex when you wear a mouth guard, then be warned that the DNA is a bit bulkier than other products from Shock Doctor.  If you don’t properly fit it to your teeth, it’s possible that during game play or sparring you’ll suffer an ill-timed gag reflex.

Interestingly, the mouth guard has a good soft gel fit material that is able to help the mouth guard better fit to your teeth.  Dip the mouth guard into hot water, then put it in a glass of cold water for a few seconds, and then fit it to your teeth.  Furthermore, the DNA has a strap that can be used to help fit the mouth guard, and to connect the mouth guard to a football or hockey cage.  The strap is rigid and annoying, so if you wear a cage, it may be best to not use it — but it comes down to personal preference.

During real world testing, my BJJ instructor dropped me on my face, and all of my teeth were in tact when I got up again.  I also used it once while playing a pick-up game of roller hockey, and it served its purpose well.  Along with being extremely comfortable and reliable, I found it very easy to communicate with my teammates while I was out on the rink.

All in all, I’ve been impressed with the Shock Doctor Power Gel DNA mouth guard; well worth the $20 I paid for it, and much better than the lower-cost mouth guards you can find at your local sporting goods store.  I never owned a Shock Doctor product before, but the company has turned me into a fan, and I look forward to testing some of their other products.

Final Rating: 9.5/10