Speech Performance of Rugby Players When Using Different Types of Mouthguard

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Participation in contact sports is linked to an increased risk of dental injuries. To reduce the risk and severity of sports-related dental injuries, mouthguards are often recommended to be worn during training and competition. However, athletes often complain that they cannot talk properly when using mouthguards. It is hypothesized that speech performance differs when using different types of mouthguards. A group of female national rugby players will be asked to pronounce four Malay words with plosive sounds (/p/, /b/, /d/ and /t/) repeatedly in three conditions: (i) when not using any mouthguard, (ii) when using 'boil and bite' mouthguard, and (iii) when using custom-fitted mouthguard. The sounds will be recorded for spectrographic analysis. The difference in mean voice onset time between conditions will be assessed.

Official Title
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Speech Performance of Rugby Players When Using Different Types of Mouthguard

Conditions
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Speech

Intervention / Treatment
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* Device: no mouthguard
* Device: 'boil and bite' mouthguard
* Device: custom-fitted mouthguard


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: adult female aged 18 years old and older currently representing the nation and participating actively in rugby native speakers of Malay (national language) Exclusion Criteria: did not play rugby within the last six months edentulism used a mouthguard, orthodontic appliance or removable prosthodontics appliance within the last six months known history of allergy to polymers medical problems (ASA classification 3 and above)

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Interventional Model Description: The participants will articulate phonemes with plosive sounds (/p/, /b/, /d/ and /t/) for the following conditions in a pre-determined sequence: (i) not using mouthguard; (ii) using a 'boil and bite' mouthguard; and (iii) using a custom-fitted mouthguard. A washout interval of one hour will be implemented between conditions.
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Rugby Players<br> | Device: no mouthguard<br>* Control (not using mouthguard)<br>Device: 'boil and bite' mouthguard<br>* KHZ058 Bicolor Mouth Guard (Shenzhen Kanghao Industrial Co. Ltd, China) will be immersed in a bowl of hot water (about 80 °C). After 50 seconds, the softened sheet will be fitted on the maxillary arch of the participant. The participant will then bite down to ensure the mouthguard stay firmly on the maxilla. After that, the mouthguard will be removed and immersed in cold water to retain its shape.<br>Device: custom-fitted mouthguard<br>* The custom-fitted mouthguards will be constructed using the dual laminated technique with two layers of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) thermoplastic sheets (Dentsply International Raintree Essix, Court East Sarasota, USA).<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mean voice onset time | The delay between the start of the speech sound and the beginning of vocal cord vibration (in millisecond) | Immediate | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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dental trauma, rugby, mouthguard, speech, contact sports