A comparison of commercially available mouthguards and a custom mouthguard

Participation in sporting events involves a risk of injury to the teeth and surrounding structures. The purpose of this study was to compare the properties of a custom mouthguard and three commercially available mouthguards. Tests included rebound upon impact as well as incisor thickness and hardness after fabrication. Results revealed that all three commercially available mouthguards exhibited greater rebound than the custom mouthguard. Rebound was related directly to the thickness of the mouthguard in the incisor region. The thickness of a mouthguard may be critical to avoiding injury to the teeth and surrounding structures.