Abstract
Purpose: Mouthguards are intended to provide protection from stomatognathic injury during sports. The aim of this study was to investigate the thickness of mouthguard sheets after the vacuum forming process in relation to the color of the mouthguard sheet material.
Methods: Cross stripes (10×10 mm) were printed on to the mouthguard sheets. We measured the thickness of each cross stripe area using a measuring-device®. The color of the mouthguard sheet material was white (MG-W) or purple (MG-P). A cast was made by taking an impression of a maxillary dental model using silicone rubber replicate impression paste, and then gypsum was poured onto the impression. The plaster cast was trimmed to the height of 20 mm at the incisal edge of the upper central incisor and 15 mm at the medial buccal cusp of the upper first molar. The sheets were heated until they sagged down 15 mm (condition A), 30 mm (condition B), and 45 mm (condition C) from the baseline. The difference in the ratio of changes in the thickness of two mouthguard sheet materials was analyzed using the paired t-test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Results: The results indicated that all parts of the sheet mounted on the cast decreased in thickness. The ratio of changes of the thickness in the part of the sheet fitted to the anterior teeth and palate on MG-W was greater than that of MG-P under the three heating conditions (p<0.01). In addition, the thickness of the part of the sheet fitted to the posterior teeth on MG-W was greater than that of MG-P under condition A (p<0.01).
Conclusion: The results of this study suggested that the thickness of the mouthguard sheet after forming was affected by the color of the sheet material under the same heating conditions.
