Gum Shields

[LDM]

Further to my post in the new arrivals section I am looking to get back into playing and one of the things I have never been totally happy with is face protection.

Being a bit of a coward I have always used a full mask for CQB stuff, something along the lines of the empire e-vent but for woodland type games it gets in the way and makes communication quite difficult therefore I have used the ESS V12 googles for eye protection which seems fine and a Shemagh or neoprene mask to protect the teerh which is still not ideal and also does not feel sufficient.

I have done a some searching on google and found a bit about the sisu gumshields I also noticed a tread on here from a year or so ago suggesting a few on here had/were using them, how did you get on with them and are you still using them? Also did you use them for both top and bottom.

Any advice appreciated.

 

[Frosty0769]

How would you expect to communicate with a gum shield in your mouth?

 

[LDM]

The Sisu ones claim that you can talk almost normally as well as drink etc. hence my post asking those that had tried them how they got on.

 

[team flex]

The Sisu ones claim that you can talk almost normally as well as drink etc. hence my post asking those that had tried them how they got on.

hmm, I play rugby quite a lot, and you can communicate just. Bloody annoying, and you find every bit of saliva from your mouth will go onto the gumshield, not very nice. Why not buy a half face mask, Ian gere knows the best one, will link it here when I find it

 

[Spatch]

I have just ordered one of the sisu 1.6 after having half of a tooth shot out last weekend so will do an objective review when it arrives

 

[remus]

mesh lower face mask does the job for a decent price, plenty of ventilation, bend to fit face, no problems with talking or sound absorption... also for gum shields to be effective they need to be on both lower and upper teeth. but hopefully someone who has had them a while will comment...

 

[TacMaster]

Teamwork is always important in airsoft, and a large factor in having a good team is communication- I'm not saying there won't be the usual game where no one works together and everything goes pear shaped, but even in that sort of scenario you can still direct people to useful positions, co-ordinate plans, call out where enemy positions are etc. Now, when you're wearing a gum shield, it would be kind of hard even to do that- and over a radio you'd be misheard and misunderstood by the guy on the other end.

As well as that, you wouldn't have the lower half of your face protected except your teeth. Idk about you guys but I'd rather not turn up to college/work after a skirmish looking like I'd been attacked by a swarm of angry hornets. Some people may like scars and not care about how they look after.

IMO mesh masks > gum shields, mainly because they're more comfortable, easier to communicate (and thus improve your team's chance of winning) and they protect your entire lower face- not just your teeth.

 

[LDM]

Cheers for the replies.

I am thinking of getting a lower mesh mask to try as my main concern is safety / not loosing teeth / getting scars.

My only concern is that mask can get in the way / make sighting a bit more difficult that being said I would not put this over safety it is just that I saw a few adverts for the SISU shields and they sounded ideal especially when they suggest you can talk normally etc.

Spatch - Have you just bought one (for upper teeth? I was probably thinking of getting the 2.4 (as I said I am a bit of a coward)

 

[M_P]

Having played a fair bit of hockey and rugby I can say that the majority of people can talk and be understood very easily with a gumshield in, a slight lispiness but nothing major. If you speak calmly and clearly through a radio (as you should be doing anyway) it's no major issue.

Best option is going to your dentist and getting a proper fitted one. Comfy and hardly noticeable after a while.

 

[Nutster]

I use a sisu 1.6 and don't have any issues with it, can talk with a slight lisp if I'm talking quickly, and drinking is easy enough. Yet to have it 'tested' though, but I guess that's a good thing

 

[two_zero]

maybe?

http://www.popularairsoft.com/news/st2airsoft-impact-tooth-guard

 

[jcheeseright]

I use a SISU 1.6 on my upper teeth only, keep my mouth shut when getting shot at too!

It's been hit a few times and has taken the impact like a champ. I have shit teeth that crack if you look at them funny (once cracked a molar on a frozen yorkie!) and the SISU has so far kept them all intact. Talking and drinking are no problem with it, so much so that I've on occasion forgotten it's in and tried to eat... Doesn't work!

 

[kriegar]

i use a lower face mesh mask, i find it comfortable, it offers excellent protection and is no barrier to communication and i find no issues raising my rifle to aim down the sights but i use an AK.

 

[remus]

if aiming down the sights is a problem with mesh, you can always get a raiser, rarely causes a problem for me(only when im near an obstacle im trying to shoot over and the height difference does put me off. at range its fine otherwise...

 

[LDM]

To be honest it is not such an issue when using the MP5 it is mainly when using the L1A1 with standard sight although I have been considering a Trilux for it which might make things easier but would probably be a bit OTT.

I am leaning towards getting a decent lower face mesh as well as the SISU and see how I get on with each setup.

 

[NickM]

I'd say the mesh masks deal with more of the problem than gum shields. Mainly because face skin is sensitive and turning up in front of a class like I would have had to with bruises and marks on my face would be more trouble than it was worth. However when I first received the mesh mask it was really uncomfortable, but I did some modifications and now it fits my face really well, I only notice it when I go to take a drink from the hydration tube or eat something. I just got a riser from Ant Supplies they are fairly cheap and that now puts my sights in line with my cheek with the mesh.

My modifications simply involved a thin layer of camping mat foam (10mm top/bottom, 5mm thick and the length of the mask) on the top edge of the mask and two pieces of foam about 30mm by the height of the mask where my jawbone is. With some bending of the mesh those are the only bits of the mask that touch my face. The mask also only came with a single strap and I found it either slipped up and over my head causing the whole mask to press up into my eyes or fall down the back of my head and end up round my neck. So I added an additional piece of wide elastic that goes up and over my head giving a y shape which is secure through all but the most dynamic of movement and even then its not falling off.