New fabrication method to maintain proper mouthguard thickness.

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Sports Dentistry

Background:

• Vacuum-formed mouthguards are crucial for protecting athletes' teeth.
• Maintaining consistent mouthguard thickness is essential for optimal shock absorption and fit.
• Current fabrication methods may lead to variations in thickness, potentially compromising protection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of layering a second ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) sheet on the original material.
• To determine if this method improves the maintenance of mouthguard thickness during fabrication.
• To compare the thickness of mouthguards produced by a novel layering technique versus a standard lamination method.

Main Methods:

• Two fabrication methods were compared: standard lamination and a novel sheet-layering technique using EVA.
• Mouthguards were formed using 3.8-mm and 3.0-mm EVA sheets.
• Thickness was measured at the central incisors and first molars and analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests.

Main Results:

• Mouthguard thickness varied significantly across different measurement regions (P < 0.01).
• The sheet-layering method resulted in significantly greater mean thickness at the central incisors (5.5 mm) compared to the laminate method (3.9 mm) (P < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• Layering a second EVA sheet is an effective strategy for maintaining mouthguard thickness.
• This fabrication technique offers a viable and cost-effective solution for producing high-quality, protective mouthguards.
• The findings support the adoption of the sheet-layering method in clinical practice for improved mouthguard fabrication.