Skip to main content

MINI REVIEW article

Front. Med.
Sec. Family Medicine and Primary Care
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1527621
This article is part of the Research Topic Advances in Temporomandibular Disorders and Orofacial Pain View all articles

Mouthguard types, properties and influence on performance in sport activities: a narrative review

Provisionally accepted
Ke Wang Ke Wang 1Yitong Liu Yitong Liu 1Zihe Zhao Zihe Zhao 1Shengjie Zhou Shengjie Zhou 2Min Zhang Min Zhang 1*
  • 1 Tongji University, Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China
  • 2 The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Mouthguards are proven devices placed inside the mouth to prevent oral lacerations, dental injuries, and jaw fractures. Endorsed by the World Dental Federation, mouthguards are crucial for preventing orofacial and dental trauma. However, their adoption in sports is challenged by limited guidance, communication barriers, and cost considerations. Based on extensive literature research in PubMed/MEDLINE, this narrative review summarizes the historical development of mouthguards, elaborates on their primary classifications, and examines the factors influencing their properties. Importantly, the impact of mouthguards on sports performance is clarified in this study. Overall, using mouthguards in sports not only reduces the occurrence and severity of dental injuries but also holds promise for enhancing athletic performances such as strength, aerobic capacity, agility, balance, and flexibility. Therefore, promoting mouthguard use in the sports community should be encouraged.

    Keywords: Mouthguards, History, Sport, Types, properties, Athletic Performance

    Received: 13 Nov 2024; Accepted: 08 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Liu, Zhao, Zhou and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Min Zhang, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, Shanghai Municipality, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.