Professional paper
Role and Fabrication Method of Custom-made Mouthguards for the Prevention of Athletic Injuries
Tomislav Badel
Vjekoslav Jerolimov
Josip Pandurić
Kristina Perenčević
Abstract
Orofacial injuries are athletic injuries which are specific according to place and way of occurence. Sports dentistry is a dental discipline associated with the prevention and treatment of the consequences of orofacial injuries during sport activities. Orofacial, and particularly dental athletic injuries, differentiate according to way of occurence from other dental injuries and can be easily prevented. By using an adequate mouthguard a number of dental and periodontal injuries can be considerably reduced. There are different intraoral mouthguards: stock, mouth-formed and custom-made mouthguards. Even though with the stock and mouthformed mouthguards a visit to the dentist is avoided, only custom-made mouthguards offer maximum prevention from orofacial injuries. By its construction and technological features it is the most comfortable for athletes during training and competition. Preconditions for wearing mouthguards are good oral prophylaxis and restoration of all teeth (without caries and periodontopathy). The motherguard is commonly fabricated on the upper dental arch. Mouthguards are manufactured from materials that should satisfy numerous physical, mechanical, biological and functional requirement. Fabrication method of a mouthguard by means of vacuum lamination is presented. The role of the mouthguard is to prevent laceration of the tongue, lips and cheeks by the sharp edges of anterior maxillary teeth, to reduce the risk of injuries to the anterior teeth, to reduce the risk of mandibular or maxillary fractures as well as damage to the posterior teeth and temporomandibular joints, after blows to the interior aspect of the mandible. Athletes should be informed of the possibilities of prevention of their oral health as well as of the existence of slight difficulties which are inevitable during wear of a mouthguard.
Keywords
orofacial injuries; sports dentistry; mouthguard
Hrčak ID:
1434
URI
Publication date:
15.6.2004.
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