Comparison of forces transmitted through different EVA mouthguards

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanical Engineering
• Dental Materials Science

Background:

• Athletic mouthguards are crucial for dental protection but face compliance issues due to breathability and speech interference.
• Modern fabrication uses two-layer ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) on high-pressure machines, with optimal thickness debated but recent research suggesting 4 mm.
• Variable mouthguard construction affects its protective capabilities against impact forces.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key mouthguard construction variables that minimize transmitted impact forces to the anterior dentition.
• To evaluate the influence of ply, thickness, and palatal coverage on impact force reduction.
• To optimize athletic mouthguard design for enhanced dental protection.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an acrylic dental cast mounted on a drop impact fixture.
• Construction of mouthguards with varied ply, thickness, and palatal coverage.
• Utilizing strain gauges and load cells to measure transmitted forces during impact testing.

Main Results:

• Mouthguard ply, thickness, and palatal coverage were tested for their impact on force transmission.
• Specific construction variables were identified as critical in minimizing impact forces.
• Data was collected to correlate design parameters with protective efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Mouthguard construction variables significantly influence the minimization of transmitted impact forces.
• Optimizing thickness and palatal coverage are key to enhancing dental protection.
• Further research can refine mouthguard design for improved athlete safety and compliance.