I was at hospital today for a scan adn was talking to the radiographer who raised a point I hadnt considered so thought I’d ask the question.
As bikers we take great care in protecting our bodies and heads. But how many of us rememnber to protect our mouths? Now I for one thought that wearing a helmet was enough, but when I had my off I had to get my specs (whih I was wearing at the time) realigned at the opticians.
The radiographer asked if I wore a gumshield, adn I must admit I laughed at the question, but then thinking about what happened to my glasses it wasnt so funny.
Does anyone here wear a gumshield when riding or racing. Or take any other form of protection for that area of the face? Lets face it would you kiss someone with a defected gob? (no offence meant here)
A gumshield is to protect the teeth from direct impact. Usually used in contact sports. With a full face helmet it is difficult to see what is going to hit your teeth at a speed that a gum shield will help with. As gumshields are not designed for high speed high G impacts I can’t imagine what help they would be, but you might choke on it.
That may well be so and in truth I would agree with your statement, but the fact that even in wearing a helmet I needed to get my glasses realigned says that no matter how a helmet fits well, having your face rearranged along with your body still remains a possibility.
Whether or not the radiographer rides or not, the fact that he raised the point made me think that the possibility does exist no matter how remote. Imagine a scenario where you have your visor open (as some of us do from time to time) and you have a highside and meet your bike mid air. Handlebars first. What then?
The question made me think, Im just passing the thought on, dont be so quick to dimiss it.
I know of someone who lost a few front teeth when he came off and landed face first wearing a half decent full face helmet. It’s a sort of “contact sport”. The contact is your chin piece colliding with your mouth.
Yup. A gum shield may well have saved his teeth.
But now here is the problem, as I see it, where the heck do you stop if your just road riding?
On the track or in competition you take the big risks and to guard against the odd error and oh sh*t! factor, you wear everything that might help.
But I’m damned if I’m going to put on half an hours worth of apparel just to go to the local town centre for an hours shopping. It’s my risk calculation decision based on the don’t fall off, don’t hit anything basis. I might yet be proved wrong.
Passing thought. Next time your on a bus, train or tube, ponder what would happen to you if there was a critical stop. Look at all those nice, hard, unforgiving surfaces around you.
Having lost 6 teeth in a bike accident if i’d known back then(aged 18) that protecting my face better than my lid would have… then yes i would have worn a gum sheild…bit late now though:w00t:
Personally I would think gumshields while road riding would be a bit excessive - like wearing a groin protector cos’ lets face in the very unlikely event of a smack they always end up taking a serious squashing - perhaps a nappy too incase we shît ourselves?
How much of this sh*t do you want to get lumbered with.What about the cricket box in case you side up the tank? Wrist braces, as used by skate boarders? I’m sure there is more.
At this rate, we could end up like medieval knights being killed by our body armour when we fall off our steed.
(no offence meant here)
