Mouthguards In Sports

Dental injury rate during sporting events has been found to be significantly decreased with appropriate mouthguard usage according to a study done by Knapik et al. (2007). Mouthguard usage dates back to the early 1920’s when boxing became the first sport to mandate the use of mouthguards in consequence to the rise in dental injuries (Knapik et al. 2007). Due to the amount of dental injuries induced from sporting events, the American Dental Association (ADA) mandated the use of mouthguards specifically for high school football players in the United States in 1962 (Knapik et al. 2007). Since the ADA mandated mouthguard usage in 1962, several studies have shown a decrease in the percentage of dental injuries in football from 50% to .5% (Knapik
There are many different types of mouthguards available, however, custom-fitted mouthguards were found to be much more effective due to the firm, unchangeable capacity of the custom-fitted mouthguard material; custom-fitted mouthguards are more successful than other types of mouthguards due to their increased ability for shock absorbency, which results in greater protection of the teeth and decreased dental injuries (Maeda et al. 2009). Custom-fitted mouthguards are made individually by a dentist for optimal protection and shock absorbency. There are several ways a dentist is able to produce a custom-fitted mouthguard, but the two most common ways are by vacuum-forming or by heat-pressure lamination from a model of the individual’s mouth. Custom-fitted mouthguards are made to cover all the maxillary teeth to the far surface of the second molars, using specific thickness parameters for ideal protection throughout the mouth, and a maxillary guard that fits comfortably next to the mandibular guard (Tuna and Ozel 2014). Custom-fitted mouthguard materials are better at absorbing impacts, which helps to minimize energy transfer to the teeth, jaw, and brain (Newsome 2003). Custom-made mouthguards are made out of