Influence of sport mouthguards on the ecological factors of the children oral cavity

BACKGROUND: The use of fixed and/or removable dental devices is an attributable factor that may affect the oral cavity homeostasis. The aim of this study was to monitor the oral environmental changes caused by dental devices, as sports mouthguards with the aid of a chair-side test. METHODS: Sixty children with sports-mouthguards were analyzed at baseline (T0), after 6 months of dental devices use (T1), after a year (T2) and after almost 6 months without using it (T3). At T0, a clinical monitoring was performed and the DMFT index was recorded. At each time of observation, the following parameters were recorded: FMPS, FMBS, unstimulated-flow rate, saliva consistency, resting pH, stimulated saliva, buffer capacity, the CFU/ml of Streptococcus mutans. RESULTS: In 60 subjects, mean age 9.9 ± 1.2, mean value of DMFT 1.55 ± 1.29,dmf-t 3.43 ± 1.21, FMPS and FMBS values increased significantly at T2. The values of unstimulated flow rate vary significantly within the observation times. The pH value and the buffering capacity reduced significantly at T2. The tests for the detection of S. mutans were negative in all the subjects in several observation times. All patients regularly used fluoridated toothpaste and comply with normal standards of oral hygiene; but over time the patients lost their initial motivation. CONCLUSIONS: Sport treatment with dental devices dues to changes in oral ecological factors: increases FMPS, FMBS and reduces the buffering capacity and the salivary pH. The use of removable devices increases the retentive plaque surfaces and inhibits the protective effect of saliva. The so-called “chair-side” tests were able to easily monitor patients and to determine the risk of oral disease during sport treatment.