Apart from the obvious distinction of a ring gag as the only kind of gag that leaves the wearer's mouth somewhat accessible and even allows the submissive to use his/her tongue to some extent, it makes kinky sex safer in several ways:
- If a long, cylindrical object were to be inserted into the mouth through the ring, the sub could not bite it, voluntarily or otherwise;
- The sub is less likely to bite his/her tongue;
- The sub is left with the ability to "say" a safeword (if that word consists chiefly of vowels); and
- Most importantly, there is far less risk of suffocation for the wearer than with any other gag.
Many
Dominants are not so much interested in
muffling any sound that the sub may make as in rendering the sub incapable of
speech. Speech is an important part of what makes
humans distinct from
animals, and removing this distinction can have
profound psychological effects. In a BDSM
scene, it can help push a sub into
subspace. If this is the intended purpose of the gag, then a ring gag should definitely be considered.