IMPROVING MOUTH GUARDS

Mouth guards and materials were tested to provide information for a mo re protective yet more comfortable product. Ethylene-vinyl acetate cop olymer materials varying in thickness and stiffness were tested for th eir mechanical, thermal, and water-absorption properties. Thickness wa s measured before and after fabrication of the mouth guard. During fab rication, thicknesses decreased from 25% to 50% for the custom-fabrica ted mouth guards and 70% to 99% for the mouth-formed (boil-and-bite), off-the-shelf, over-the-counter mouth guards. The thicker the material is, the greater the resulting energy absorption is. It is therefore e ssential that the thickness in the occlusal portion of the mouth guard remain optimal after fabrication. A mouth guard with a stiffer insert , which softens at a higher temperature in the occlusal portion, is pr oposed as a more protective mouth guard.