Assessment of intraoral mouthguards: usage and hygiene issues

Introduction. Regular use of mouthguards requires proper arrangements for their disinfection and sanitization. Incorrect or infrequent hygiene procedures may lead to inflammatory infection in the oral cavity. Prevention measures also involve periodical replacement of mouthguards due to the growth of microorganisms on their surface, along with increasing porosity on use. Buying a new protective occlusal splint is also recommended in the event of an inflammatory lesion in the mouth, and after infection of the respiratory system. Aim of the study. To assess usage and hygiene maintenance of elastic mouthguards by athletes practicing various sports disciplines. Methods. A group of 1279 mouthguard users were surveyed, including questions about demographic background of participants, hygiene habits and storage of protective splints. Statistical analysis of the results was performed; the level of statistical significance was established at p < 0.05. Results. It was revealed that 5% of the interviewed athletes (60 individuals) do not cleanse their mouthguards. Most of the surveyed participants (85.5%) rinse the splint with water after wearing it. Only every fifth athlete replaces the mouthguard at regular intervals, regardless of its condition; half of the respondents do it when it is completely deformed, and one-third do it after loss of smoothness of its surface. About 20% of athletes have never replaced their protective occlusal splint. All results showed statistical significance. Conclusions. Athletes’ awareness of proper usage, storage and sanitization of mouthguards is not sufficient.