Impact Absorption on 3D Printed Mouthguard Material in Selected Printing Angulations

BACKGROUND: Sports-related oral and craniofacial injuries are significant public health problems, and one-third of these injuries result from sports activities. These injuries affect the quality of life and performance of athletes. Sports mouthguards are recommended to mitigate these injuries. Three-dimensional (3D)-printed customized mouthguards may provide superior shock absorption for injury prevention, depending on material and design factors rather than fabrication technique alone. To date, the optimal angle for 3D-printed mouthguards, particularly in terms of impact absorption, has not yet been well-studied. AIM: This study assesses the effect of printing angulation on the impact absorption of 3D-printed material for sports mouthguard application. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study investigated the impact absorption properties of a 3D-printed mouthguard material produced at different printing angles (0°, 10°, 20°, 30°, 40°, and 50°) using a digital light processing printer. A free-falling ball impact test was conducted to assess the maximum impact force and the time taken to reach the maximum impact force. RESULTS: The printing angle significantly affected the impact absorption properties. The 10° printing angle exhibited the lowest maximum impact force and longest impact force time. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the printing angle plays a significant role in optimizing the protective properties of 3D-printed mouthguards.