Study: Mouthguard Type Matters in Reducing Athletes’ Concussion Risk

High school football players wearing store-bought, over-the-counter (OTC) mouthguards were more than twice as likely to suffer mild traumatic brain injures (mTBI)/concussions than those wearing custom-made, properly fitted mouthguards, according to a recent study published in General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry. The study followed 412 players from six high school football teams. While all players wore the same style of football helmet, three teams (220 athletes) were randomly assigned to wear custom-made mouthguards, and three teams (192 athletes) wore standard OTC mouthguards of their own choosing. According to the study, 8.3 percent of athletes in the OTC mouthguard group suffered mTBI/concussion injuries. For those with custom-made mouthguards, however, the rate was only 3.6 percent. To learn more about the study, click here.