Instrumented Mouth Guard (img) Fit And Comfort Based On Youth Football Survey Responses

To quantify the frequency and magnitude of head acceleration events (HAEs) experienced during sport, many research studies use instrumented mouth guards (iMGs). However, comfort and fit of iMGs, particularly for youth athletes, can be potential barriers to study participation and retention. Additionally, resources may be needed to replace iMGs that are damaged from chewing. Youth athletes have smaller mouth sizes; therefore, sensor size and placement can lead to discomfort with iMG use. Surveys can determine how well a piece of equipment meets the user needs, by capturing their experience. Purpose: Determine comfort and fit of iMGs worn by youth tackle football players based on survey responses and examine how perceived comfort and fit affects the number of iMGs replaced throughout a season. Methods: 45 youth tackle football players received custom-fit iMGs and completed a mid-season 13-item survey about comfort and fit. A research team member distributed iMGs before and collected iMGs at the end of games and practices and monitored compliance with iMG wear. Median, 25th percentile and 75th percentiles were calculated for each survey item response. Correlations were calculated between survey responses and number of mouthguard replacements. Results: Survey questions and descriptive statistics are provided in table 1. Question 1 (overall comfort) was positively correlated with Questions 2 (lip comfort, Spearman's ρ = 0.316, p = .050), 3 (gum comfort, ρ = 0.572, p < .001), 5 (teeth comfort, ρ = 0.556, p < .001), 10 (mouth dryness, ρ = 0.335, p < 0.037) and negatively correlated with question 11 (inclination to chew, ρ = -0.475, p < 0.002) and the number of mouth guard replacements (ρ = -0.365, p = .002). Conclusions: Overall discomfort was related to gum, teeth, and lip discomfort. iMGs were replaced due to extensive chewing damage which caused sensor failure. iMG discomfort could potentially explain an increased tendency to chew and therefore a larger number of replacements. Supported by: National Institutes of Health (NIH), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) R01 (R01HD110401)