Mouthguard

An example of a mouthguard used in the treatment of bruxism

A mouthguard (also known as a mouth protector, mouth piece, gumshield, gumguard or nightguard) is a protective device for the mouth that covers the teeth and gums to prevent and reduce injury to the teeth, arches, lips and gums. Mouthguards are most often used to prevent injury in contact sports, as a treatment for bruxism or TMD, or as part of certain dental procedures, such as tooth bleaching.

History

An early mouthguard was developed in 1890 by Woolf Krauze, a London dentist to protect boxers from lip cuts and lacerations. The modern mouthguard design started from the work in the 1970s done by Dr. A. W. S. Wood, a Canadian pediatric dentist who was aiming to reduce and prevent harm injuries to children's teeth in ice hockey games.^[1]

Indications

• Dental trauma
  • Mouthguards are used in sports where deliberate or accidental impacts to the face and jaw may cause harm. Such impacts may occur in many sports including: baseball, boxing, mixed martial arts, puroresu, rugby, wrestling, football (soccer), American football, Australian football, lacrosse, basketball, figure skating, hockey, underwater hockey, Field Hockey water polo, skiing, and snowboarding. Mouthguards may also prevent or reduce harm levels of concussion in the event of an injury to the jaw.^[2][3] In many sports, the rules of the sport make their use compulsory,^[4] or local health laws demand them. Schools also often have rules requiring their use.^[5] Studies in various high risk populations for dental injuries are repeatedly reporting of a low compliance of individuals for the regular using of mouthguard during activities.^[6] Moreover, even with regular use, effectiveness in prevention on dental trauma is not complete, and injuries can still occur even when mouthguards are used as users are not always aware of the best makes or size, which inevitably result in a poor fit.^[7]

• Oral medicine
  • Mouthguards may be used as splints to reduce strain over the temporomandibular joint in temporomandibular joint disorder
  • To prevent tooth attrition in bruxism
  • To deliver topical medication (e.g., corticosteroids) for chronic gingival diseases such as mucous membrane pemphigoid.

• Dental aesthetics
  • During tooth bleaching
  • As a night protector of thin porcelain bridges

• orthodontics
  • Invisalign, a substitute for brackets and acrylic plates

Types of mouthguards

Stock or ready made

Manufactured in a pre-formed shape in various sizes but with nearly no adjustment to fit the user's mouth. The only adjustment possible is minor trimming with a knife or scissors.

Mouth adapted or "boil and bite"

A thermo-plastic material manufactured in a pre-formed shape in various sizes that can be adapted to fit more closely to an individual's teeth and gums by heating and molding such as boiling then placing in the mouth. Some are now available that incorporate special fins within the fitting zones which increase retention and give an improved fit over tradition boil and bite mouth types. Guards are usually made of Ethylene-vinyl acetate[1][2]. This is the most popular mouthguard used by amateur and semi-professional sportsmen, providing adequate protection but relatively low comfort in comparison to the custom made guard.^[8]

Custom made

An impression of the user's teeth is used by specialist manufacturers to create a best-fit mouth protector. The impression may be obtained by specifically designed Home Impression kit from the guard manufacturer that uses dental putty, or from a dentist who will take an upper impression in dental alginate material. In Europe, the guard must be sold with a CE mark and the guard must have passed an EC Type-Examination test, performed by an accredited European Notified Body. Applying a CE mark without such certification is a criminal offence.

Flavored

In 2011, MoGo Sport LLC launched the first flavored mouthguard. Patented technology enables MoGo to embed the flavor right into the plastic resin – effectively the flavor and plastic polymers become one. As long as the plastic retains its integrity, the flavor lasts after repeated use.

See also

• Dental trauma
• Glot-Up

References

1. ^ Member of the Order of Canada for Dr Art Wood
2. ^ NZ Dental Association advice
3. ^ "Do mouthguards prevent concussion?"
4. ^ "...mouthguards became compulsory in 1997..."
5. ^ "...mouthguards will be mandatory for all basketball and wrestling teams in the middle and upper schools...."
6. ^ Zadik Y, Jeffet U, Levin L (December 2010). "Prevention of dental trauma in a high-risk military population: the discrepancy between knowledge and willingness to comply". Mil Med 175 (12): 1000–1003. PMID 21265309. 
7. ^ Zadik Y, Levin L (December 2008). "Orofacial injuries and mouth guard use in elite commando fighters". Mil Med 173 (12): 1185–1187. PMID 19149336. 
8. ^ Zadik Y, Levin L (February 2009). "Does a free-of-charge distribution of boil-and-bite mouthguards to young adult amateur sportsmen affect oral and facial trauma?". Dent Traumatol 25 (1): 69–72. doi:10.1111/j.1600-9657.2008.00708.x. PMID 19208013.