Clinical Application of Glass Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Materials for High Functional Sports Mouthguards

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K11774
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Prosthodontics/ Dental materials science and
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: CHUREI Hiroshi 東京医科歯科大学, 大学院医歯学総合研究科, 助教 (50431945)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 上野 俊明 東京医科歯科大学, 大学院医歯学総合研究科, 准教授 (30292981)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: マウスガード / ガラス繊維強化 / 緩衝空間 / 口腔外傷予防

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the highly functionalized mouth guard mouthguard (MG; a protective device against oral trauma), the use of glass-fiber-reinforced MG material and the setting of the buffering space effectively slowed down the impact propagation, which suggested that the effect characteristics differed depending on the impact strength. Furthermore, impact tests of clinical MGs showed that glass-fiber-reinforced MGs were more effective in dispersing a wide area than in delaying impact propagation, and that the setting of the buffering space further improved the synergistic impact dispersion effect.
For clinical application of glass fiber reinforced MG, it is necessary to consider the area of the buffering space according to the expected impact, and it is important to provide a design that is appropriate for the expected impact.

Free Research Field

スポーツ歯科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により、「ガラス繊維強化材料被覆範囲」や「緩衝空間設定範囲」に関する基本的な考え方が明らかとなったことで、さまざまな道具を使用するスポーツ各々における至適の高機能化の方向性を示せ、応用範囲の拡大も推進できると考えられる．
口腔外傷に対する防護装置であるマウスガード（MG）の高機能化は、「ガラス繊維強化材料被覆」や「緩衝空間設定」により、さらに進むことが期待される．