Switched to a Shield

[Guy Incognito 0]

Adult Player here...

I've worn a cage throughout the short tenure of my hockey career, and only wore a shield during light skates with friendly groups. I love the shield and decided to wear it in my most recent game, and I love it. Anything (besides "watch out for flying pucks") that anyone can offer as insight to try to help keep my teeth in tact? We're a non contact league.

[Hooah4 12]

I'm in a no-contact league also. I still wear my cage as half the guys are terrible with controlling their sticks. Best of luck. Get a good mouthguard from your dentist. It may help disperse some initial impact plus it helps alot with concussion prevention.

[shute 4]

if you want to keep your teeth get the oakley shield and cage combo. it's by far the best and i've tried them all or go back to your cage.

[SickLife 2]

i was the same way. & it was fine at first. but 2 months into wearing the half shield, within 6 weeks i had 2 pucks to the mouth, messed up cartilage in my nose from a puck going up a guy's stick into my face, & got 7 stitches from a high stick.

i went to a full shield now. but honestly will probably go back once my chin really heals.

[the_game 452]

if you are going half shield, you have to have a mouth piece. If you don't wear one I hope that you have a very good dental program and enjoy visits to either a dentist or an oral surgeon. I've worn a half visor since I could take off a cage and tried to always wear a mouthguard.

BUT, keep in mind, even with a half shield and mouthguard, its only gonna cover your top teeth so the bottom are still at risk of getting knocked out as I have learned from experience and the subsequent dental bills. Safe to say, the mouthguard did help out a lot when I took a puck in the mouth back in december. I only lost one tooth on the bottom, but probably saved multiple teeth on top by wearing the mouth guard. so yeah, wear the mouth guard to be on the somewhat safe side.

[pisani34 10]

yep with a half shield the best you can do is to wear a mouthguard, if your really that worried about your teeth go back to the cage, but in my opinion, id rather have fake or no teeth than be blind...at least your wearing a visor

[Doctor Hook 0]

It's your choice, but I wouldn't rock a half shield unless I was getting paid to play. It's not worth the hassle of a busted grill or worse. Good luck.

[srv2miker 0]

I use a half shield and mouthguard. People will give you grief here for only using a 1/2, but I still see plently of guys I play with that use nothing! Teeth can be replaced, eyes not so much.

[mack 44]

Mouthguard's about all you can do short of going back to a full set-up. I don't use a shield or mouthguard but I'm taking crap from the wife, so inevitably the Oakley's going back on. Either way though, the mouthguard helps a lot more than I thought it would.

[psh 25]

I played with a half shield for years once I was out of school. Loved it, especially the extra peripheral vision when the puck was in my feet. I also used a mouthguard religiously. I was always really careful, especially going into corners and often had to knock high sticks back with my free hand.

Then I had a collision. Another player and I blindsided each other at full speed in transition. His helmet caught my mouth and I had all of my top teeth knocked back. It was bad. The collison was so hard that my helmet was cracked and even with the mouthguard, my top teeth were knocked so far back that I couldn't close my mouth. ER visit, oral surgeon visit, and several dental visits later, I was down thousands of dollars (because the oral surgery and dental visits were not considered "medical expenses" by my insurer).

I've also seen some pretty bad cuts when guys have taken pucks or sticks in the face. And if you really want to be scared, watch Nik Kronwall take the skate to the mouth on YouTube. Too many risks if you ask me.

I loved that shield, but not several grand worth. I've been wearing a cage ever since getting back on my skates. If you stick with the shield, be careful and good luck.

[acollette49 0]

i wore a shield for a number of years. after seeing several of my teammates and opponents take sticks and pucks to the mouth i went back to a cage. its not worth the aggrivation of having teeth replaced. for me, there is a small difference in how i play now. im no longer looking out for errant sticks and it allows me to focus more on loose pucks...so take that into consideration.

[Jarick 5]

Oakley half cage...visibility of a visor with cage protection at the bottom. Or the Itech equivalent.

I had one (it's up on eBay now) but couldn't deal with the fogging. Of course, most people I play with seem to do just fine but I preferred my cage.

[LkptTiger 1]

I'd been taking my cage off to go to Open Hockey for awhile and was going bare - never really got cut; bloody nose might have been the worst I got. Sure enough, in the first five minutes of my first session with my new visor, the bridge of my nose gets opened for five stitches. I still rock the visor and, despite a few close calls, don't see myself going to a birdcage or fishbowl any time soon.

[djinferno 2]

i play with a half sheild and mouthguard, can't use cage, it does the job as long as you don't wear it up high like junior guys do....

[--notorious 0]

I don't even wear a helmet for pickup but when it comes to league even though i have to i would wear a cage even if i didn't have too. Last game i got blindsided by a puck right in my cage and then later go slashed in the cage

[ljbaron 0]

Keep your head up and you'll be fine

[MLSman 22]

I have used a half shield since graduating college, and have had a few incidents, but I agree that you tend to be more careful and less aggressive if you wear one and you have had a bad experience. The league I play in does not allow slap shots and is light contact only. Almost all of the guys are friends, and we tend to be very responsible with our sticks....but accidents do happen.

I wear the HS22 mirrored visor, and ALWAYS slap in my mouthguard.