Background/Aim
Wearing a mouthguard during sports reduces the risk of dental injury via absorbing impact forces, and the effectiveness and safety of the mouthguard are closely linked to the mouthguard material and thickness. The aim of this study was to clarify the suppression effect of the thickness reduction of the mouthguard when changing the moving distance of the model forward in a stepwise manner.
Materials and Methods
Ethylene‐vinyl acetate sheets of 4.0 mm thick and a vacuum forming machine were used. The working model was placed at a position 40 mm from the front of the forming unit. The sheet was softened until it sagged 15 mm, and the sheet frame was lowered and covered the model. The model was then pushed from the back to move it forward, and the vacuum was switched on. The model was moved 10 (MP‐10), 20 (MP‐20), or 30 mm (MP‐30). The control model was not moved. The thickness after formation was measured with a specialized caliper. Differences in the mouthguard thickness caused by the forming conditions were analyzed by one‐way ANOVA and Bonferroni's multiple comparison tests.
Results
Significant differences were observed between the control and each MP condition (P < 0.01). Reduction rate of the thickness decreased as the moving distance of the model increased. In particular, the thickness difference depending on the forming conditions was greater at the labial site. The reduction rate of MP‐30 was 33.8 ± 0.8% smaller than that of the control.
Conclusion
The thickness reduction in mouthguards was mitigated by moving the model forward just before vacuum forming. The reduction was smaller as the moving distance of the model increased. This study suggested that moving the model 20 mm or more forward just before vacuum forming could secure the labial thickness of 3 mm or more.