Rugby players' satisfaction with custom-fitted mouthguards made with different materials

Area of Science:

• Sports Dentistry
• Materials Science in Prosthodontics

Background:

• Custom-fitted mouthguards are crucial for protecting athletes.
• Comparing silicone rubber and methyl-methacrylate (acrylic) mouthguards is important for optimizing athletic protection and comfort.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the comfort and performance of custom-fitted silicone rubber versus acrylic bimaxillary mouthguards in high-school rugby players.
• To evaluate player preference and identify areas for material improvement in sports mouthguards.

Main Methods:

• A within-subject crossover clinical trial involving 52 rugby players.
• Players used both silicone and acrylic mouthguards for 4-month periods.
• Evaluated comfort, stability, hardness, and other factors using a Visual Analogue Scale questionnaire.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found in comfort, bulkiness, speech, breathing, dryness, or nausea between silicone and acrylic mouthguards.
• Acrylic mouthguards demonstrated superior stability and hardness compared to silicone mouthguards (P<0.01).
• Players showed a greater tendency to chew silicone mouthguards (P<0.01), with 56% preferring acrylic at study end.

Conclusions:

• While silicone mouthguards are well-accepted, enhancements in hardness and stability are necessary for optimal sports performance.
• Acrylic mouthguards currently offer better stability and hardness for athletic use.
• Further material development in silicone is recommended to match or exceed the performance of acrylic mouthguards.