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Microbiota found in protective athletic mouthguards.

Richard T Glass1, Robert S Conrad, Gerwald A Köhler

  • 1Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Sports Health
|September 28, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Protective athletic mouthguards (PAM) become contaminated with microorganisms during use. Daily soaking of PAM in an antimicrobial solution significantly reduces this microbial load, promoting better oral hygiene for athletes.

Keywords:
contaminationdisease transmissionmicroorganismsmouthguard careoral infectionsprotective athletic mouthguardssystemic infections

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Area of Science:

  • Sports Medicine
  • Microbiology
  • Oral Hygiene

Background:

  • Protective athletic mouthguards (PAM) can cause oral injuries and may link to systemic health issues.
  • PAM are prone to microbial contamination with regular use.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the microbial contamination of PAM used by athletes.
  • To determine if an antimicrobial solution can reduce the microbial load on PAM.

Main Methods:

  • A case series involving 62 NCAA Division I football players and 81 PAM.
  • Microbial analysis (qualitative and quantitative) for bacteria, yeasts, and fungi.
  • Comparison between PAM used normally and those soaked in an antimicrobial solution daily.

Main Results:

  • PAM harbored significant levels of gram-positive cocci, gram-positive bacilli, yeasts, and molds.
  • Staphylococcus spp. and Micrococcus spp. were common gram-positive cocci.
  • Daily soaking in an antimicrobial solution substantially decreased the overall microbial contamination of PAM.

Conclusions:

  • Protective athletic mouthguards accumulate substantial microbial contamination.
  • Regular sanitization with an antimicrobial solution is effective in reducing microbial load.
  • Athletes should sanitize PAM daily and replace them when damaged to prevent oral and systemic diseases.