Comparing Boil and Bite with Customized Mouthguard Based on Subjective Experience of Boxers - A Pilot Study

Context:Incidence of sports- related injuries are common in contact grade sports, particularly concerning the stomatognathic region. The use of intraoral mouthguards is essential in prevention, but the choice depends on the comfort and experience of the athlete. Objective: To compare custom-made and stock (boil and bite) mouth guard in boxers cohort based on their subjective experience. Design: Qualitative study Setting: Academic Dental Hospital Patients or Other Participants: The cohort of ten active boxers of 15-35 yrs. age were included from different local training institutes with details of their background characteristics without gender discrimination. Data Collection and Analysis: Data were collected using a subjective questionnaire and analysed using SPSS version 20.0. A non-parametric test was applied. Results: The response was calculated, and a comparison was done using Chi-Square Test for statistical significance. Customized mouth guard was found to be outstanding on all parameters except in terms of protection, where it was found equivalent to Boil and Bite. Conclusion: Within the limitations of the study, it can be concluded that the use of customized mouth guard has significantly conquered the disadvantages of conventional mouthguard of choice, based on which the use of customized mouthguard showed be promoted. Key words: customised mouthguard, boil and bite mouthguard, boxers, sports injuries, sports dentistry.