Mouthguards: The Effects and the Solutions for Underlying Problems (Dental Science, Materials and Technology)

It has been reported that, during a single athletic season, there is a one in ten chance of suffering a facial or dental injury, and the lifetime risk of such an injury is estimated to be 45 percent. It is also estimated that an athlete is sixty times more likely to sustain a dental injury while not wearing a mouthguard. Thus, there is an expectation that mouthguards can help prevent these types of injuries. The positive effects of wearing a mouthguard are indicated in various epidemiological surveys and experiments. Most of these studies revealed that mouthguards have, to some degree, an injury-preventing effect. This book indicates that there is a necessity for improving the impact absorption ability of mouthguards by considering how to achieve a full-balanced occlusion, improving design and developing new materials.