Mouthguards and their use in sports: Report of the 1st International Sports Dentistry Workshop, 2016

Abstract

There appears to be much confusion or misinformation worldwide regarding mouthguards and their use in sports. In an effort to clarify where the international dental community stands on mouthguards and mouthguard research, the workshop looked at some important questions. The goal was to one day formulate consensus statements related to these questions, which will be based on current scientific evidence-based research, to motivate the international community of the importance of dentally fitted laminated mouthguards and the wearing of them by athletes of all sports. There are only five sports in the United States that require the use of mouthguards. If, through workshops such as this, the importance of wearing dentally fitted laminated mouthguards can be demonstrated, then more sports may require their athletes to wear them. K E Y W O R D Sconcussion prevention, mouthguards, performance enhancement, sports dentistry, sportsguards

Satisfaction with shortening the palatal extension of a mouthguard for water polo players: A randomized crossover study

“…However, the small number of participants who were playing in these field positions can be considered another study limitation and the field position as a risk to suffer orofacial injuries could be the focus of new research. Furthermore, the mouthguard occlusion was bilateral but not all antagonist teeth contacted, as recommended to enhance postural control and muscle performance during teeth clenching . New studies could be designed to determine whether an occlusal adapted design might contribute to even greater comfort and protection.…”

“…Three main types of mouthguard are available: (a) pre‐fabricated mouthguards, which are not fitted to the patient; (b) mouth‐formed or “boil‐and‐bite” mouthguards, which are made from a thermoplastic material that becomes soft and moldable when heated; and (c) custom‐made mouthguards, which are fabricated from dental impressions . Custom‐made mouthguards provide a better fit and offer more protection than either mouth‐formed or pre‐fabricated mouthguards and also interfere less with performance . The most frequently reported complaints with mouthguard use are speech and breathing problems .…”

“…19 Custom-made mouthguards provide a better fit and offer more protection than either mouth-formed or pre-fabricated mouthguards and also interfere less with performance. 20,21 The most frequently reported complaints with mouthguard use are speech and breathing problems. 12,14,[22][23][24] It is well known that athletes from different sports have fewer complaints when using custom-made mouthguards compared with either of the other mouthguard types .…”

“…The ideal thickness at different mouthguard sites is not well established, but would depend on the amount of energy to be absorbed and the degree of acceptance by the wearer. 20,[26][27][28] Another issue is that the ideal extension of the mouthguard is not known.…”

Risk of orofacial injuries and mouthguard use in water polo players

“…10,19 In the present study, players who wore braces did not report more orofacial injuries than those who did not wear braces. 13,25 Since this type of mouthguard is expensive and not easily accessible, there should be initiatives to make it cheaper and more accessible. 20 Despite the risk of orofacial injuries, only 10% of the players reported to have tried a mouthguard, with only 1% using it routinely for training and competition.…”