SDS Occlusion Blog

I’m grateful to Dhru Shah for the link to this paper by Prof Dave Singh of the SMILE Foundation, California- full title of which is:

“Customized mandibular orthotics in the prevention of concussion/mild traumatic brain injury in football players: a preliminary study”

Prof Dave Singh

It’s an American paper, so it refers to American Football, not “soccer”, but it’s interesting nonetheless I think, especially as I make appliances very similar to this for a number of Premiership footballers (soccer players) and the main benefit for them seems to be a reduction in pelvic strain and hamstring injuries.

Here’s the abstract:

Abstract

Background/Aim: It is accepted that sports mouthguards decrease the incidence of dental injuries in athletes, but the value of oral orthotics in the prevention of concussion/mild traumatic brain injuries in footballers remains contentious. However, previous investigations have primarily studied non-customized mouthguards without dental/temporo-mandibular joint examinations of the subjects. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine whether the use of a customized mandibular orthotic after temporo-mandibular joint assessment reduces the incidence of concussion/mild traumatic brain injuries in high-school football players.

Materials and methods: Using a longitudinal, retrospective design, data were collected from a cohort of football players (n = 28) over three seasons using a questionnaire. The mean age of the sample prior to the use of the customized mandibular orthotic was 17.3 years ± 1.9. Prior to deployment, dental records and temporo-mandibular joint evaluations were undertaken, as well as neurocognitive assessment, including history of concussion/mild traumatic brain injuries. After establishing optimal jaw position, a customized mandibular orthotic was fabricated to the new spatial relations.

Results: The mean age of the sample after three seasons was 19.7 years ± 2.0. Prior to the use of the customized mandibular orthotic, the mean self-reported incidence of concussion/mild traumatic brain injuries was 2.1 ± 1.4 concussive events. After the deployment of the customized mandibular orthotic the number of concussive events fell to 0.11 ± 0.3 with an odds ratio of 38.33 (95% CI 8.2–178.6), P < 0.05.

Conclusion: The preliminary results of this study suggest that a customized mandibular orthotic may decrease the incidence of concussion/mild traumatic brain injuries in high school football athletes, but a comprehensive study is required to confirm these initial findings. Furthermore, additional research is necessary to indicate the possible mode(s) of action of a customized mandibular orthotic in the prevention of concussion/mild traumatic brain injuries.

Link to full paper HERE – you might need to log in or register with Dentinal Tubules to read this.