Mouthguard (sport)
A mouthguard (including mouth guards , mouth guard , Sports ) covers the teeth and parts of the jaw bone to injury of teeth ( anterior trauma ), jawbone, lips and gums to prevent or reduce the degree of injury. Mouth guards are used in amateur and professional sports . In football, however, the mouthguard reduces the risk of a concussion and not - as many mistakenly think - to protect the jaw, teeth, lips or gums. Because the hard impact of the upper and lower jaw creates such a large pressure wave that it leads to a concussion.
application
Mouth guards are used in many sports in which deliberate or accidental impact (blows, blows, blows) against the face and jaw can cause injuries and even incapacity for work. Such impacts can occur, among other things, in martial arts such as boxing or wrestling, and in many ball sports such as rugby , football, soccer, American football , Australian football , lacrosse , handball , basketball or hockey . A mouthguard can reduce the extent of the injury in the event of a concussion from a blow to the jaw. Also, inline skating , skateboarding or mountain biking often lead to jaw and tooth injuries.
history
A forerunner to today's mouthguard was developed in 1890 by Woolf Krause, a London dentist, to protect boxers from cracked lips. The design of the modern face mask began in the 1970s with the work of AWS Wood, a Canadian pediatric dentist who wanted to better protect children's teeth from injury when playing hockey.
In many sports, the regulations stipulate the use of a face mask, in other cases its use is even mandatory by law. In schools, wearing a face mask while doing certain sports is often stipulated in the school rules.
Requirements for a face mask
The following requirements are placed on an effective face mask:
- Covering the rows of teeth and the gums in the upper or lower jaw
- No impairment of the bite or jaw position
- No influence on athletic performance
- No impairment of breathing or speech
- High strength and durability
- Easy to clean
- Lack of taste and odor
- Possibility of adapting to the mixed dentition and to fixed orthodontic appliances
Types of mouthguards
For most sports, it is enough to protect the upper row of teeth. The lower jaw is fixed by clenching the teeth. There are four different types of face mask:
Ready-made mouthguards
The ready-made mouthguard is industrially manufactured in a given shape and in many different sizes, but has almost no further options for easy adaptation to the mouth of the respective user. The only adjustment option is to work with a knife or scissors.
advantages
- Inexpensive
- Available without waiting
disadvantage
- imprecise fit
- distributes an impinging load unevenly
- lies loosely in the mouth
- holds only by clenching the teeth
- can easily cause chafing in the mouth
- can cause cramping in the mouth
- overloads individual teeth
Face mask made of thermoplastic material
Mouthguards made of thermoplastic material ("boil & bite") are available in prefabricated form and in various sizes, which are placed in the mouth after heating and modeled by pressing. As a result, it can be adapted to the shape of the palate better than a ready-made mouthguard. Newer models are considered average fit. If the adjustment is unsuccessful, the mouthguard can be re-adjusted by heating.
advantages
- Inexpensive (7 to 25 €)
- Available without waiting
disadvantage
- loose fit in the mouth
- low occlusal strength
- shock absorption only
- no force distribution
- no protection for the gums
- does not include the entire danger area in the mouth
- In extreme cases, the lack of fit can intensify an impact
Face mask made of two-component plastic
The mouthguard made of two-component plastic hardens after mixing two components through polymerization .
advantages
- Inexpensive
- Available without waiting
- Shock absorption
disadvantage
- can no longer be used if it does not fit
- the gums can be injured by non-rounded edges
- loose fit in the mouth
- low occlusal strength
- no force distribution
- no protection for the gums
- does not include the entire danger area in the mouth
- In extreme cases, the lack of fit can intensify an impact
Custom-made mouthguards
The individually made mouthguard. is made in cooperation with the dentist and dental technician. The dentist takes an impression of the teeth and jaw. The impression is poured and a plaster model is made that reproduces the oral situation. The dental technician can use this model to make a precisely fitted mouthguard.
advantages
- Very good fit thanks to individual production in the dental laboratory
- Catches blows and absorbs the impact
- You can choose between different model types, depending on age, sport and performance level
disadvantage
- Higher costs (150–200 €)
- Waiting time for production
maintenance
After use, saliva build-up on the mouthguard can be rinsed off with water. The mouthguard can be cleaned on the inside and outside with a toothbrush and soap, but toothpaste is not suitable because of the abrasive particles it contains . There is a risk of deformation when blow-drying. Denture cleaning tablets can also be used.
Web links
- Description of various models (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Mouth guards for the prevention of tooth, mouth and jaw injuries caused by sports ( Memento of April 13, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), scientific opinion of the German Society for Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine
- ↑ JF Roulet, S. Zimmer, Prophylaxis and Preventive Dentistry . Georg Thieme Verlag; 2003. ISBN 978-3-13-135651-2 . p. 142-.