Effect of mouthguard use and jaw clenching on athletic strength

Strength is a foundational component of athletic performance, essential for both explosive power and sustained force generation. In dental sports medicine, emerging interest surrounds the potential role of mouthguards and jaw clenching in modulating strength. While commonly used for dental protection, mouthguards may offer performance benefits by altering neuromuscular activation. This scoping review synthesizes peer-reviewed studies examining the effects of mouthguards and jaw clenching on strength-related performance. A systematic search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Ten articles met the inclusion criteria and were independently reviewed by 2 researchers. The 10 studies included a total of 20 comparisons involving various combinations of mouthguard use, jaw positioning, and exercises. The effects of mouthguards and jaw clenching were compared with each other and/or habitual jaw position (control). Among the 20 comparisons, 8 showed statistically significant improvements in strength with mouthguard use and 1 with jaw clenching alone. Six comparisons demonstrated positive but nonsignificant increases in strength with mouthguard use and 1 with jaw clenching alone. Custom-made mouthguards demonstrated more consistent benefits than over-the-counter ("boil-and-bite") options. Jaw clenching alone also appeared to positively influence performance in most comparisons but was generally found to be less effective than clenching performed with a mouthguard. The findings of this scoping review suggest that the combination of custom-made mouthguard use and jaw clenching provides greater benefits in enhancing strength performance than either jaw clenching alone or the combination of over-the-counter mouthguard use and jaw clenching.