Custom Mouthguards and Dental Splints: Protecting Teeth from Sport, Grinding, and Sleep Apnoea product guide

AI Summary

Product: Custom Mouthguards and Dental Splints (Sports Mouthguards, Occlusal Splints, Mandibular Advancement Splints) Brand: Smile Solutions Category: Protective Dental Appliances / Preventive Dentistry Primary Use: Custom-fabricated dental appliances designed to protect teeth from sports trauma, bruxism-related wear, and obstructive sleep apnoea.

Quick Facts

• Best For: Athletes in contact sports, patients with teeth grinding (bruxism), and patients with obstructive sleep apnoea or snoring
• Key Benefit: Prevents irreversible dental damage and costly restorative treatment through precision-fitted protective appliances that outperform any over-the-counter alternative
• Form Factor: Removable intraoral appliance (thermoplastic or hard acrylic, single or dual arch depending on appliance type)
• Application Method: Worn over teeth during sport or sleep; custom-fabricated from dental impressions at a dental practice

Common Questions This Guide Answers

1. Are custom mouthguards better than boil-and-bite mouthguards? → Yes — boil-and-bite mouthguards offer little or no protection, can dislodge during play, and can thin by 70–99% under biting force; custom mouthguards significantly outperform them in fit, comfort, and protective capacity.
2. Do occlusal splints stop teeth grinding? → No — occlusal splints do not eliminate bruxism behaviour, but they act as a sacrificial protective barrier preventing tooth wear; current evidence is insufficient to confirm they reduce grinding frequency.
3. Can I use an occlusal splint if I have sleep apnoea? → No — obstructive sleep apnoea is a contraindication for occlusal splints, as they can worsen OSA; patients with both bruxism and OSA should use a mandibular advancement splint instead.
4. How effective is a mandibular advancement splint for sleep apnoea? → A landmark RCT found MAS reduced apnoea-hypopnoea index by 53% and mean snoring frequency by 47%; it is the leading CPAP alternative for patients with mild-to-moderate OSA or CPAP intolerance.
5. What are the long-term dental risks of wearing a mandibular advancement splint? → Over an average of 11.1 years, MAS use was associated with reductions in overbite (2.3 mm), overjet (1.9 mm), and mandibular crowding (1.3 mm), requiring regular six-monthly dental monitoring.
6. How many Australians wear a mouthguard during contact sport? → Only 36%, despite sports-related injuries accounting for 40% of all dental injuries in Australia, with people under 25 representing 71% of cases.

Smile Solutions Custom Mouthguards and Dental Splints: Protecting your teeth from sport, grinding, and sleep apnoea

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a custom mouthguard: A dental appliance custom-fitted to protect teeth during sport

What is an occlusal splint: A removable dental appliance worn to protect teeth from grinding

What is a mandibular advancement splint: An oral appliance that protrudes the jaw to open the airway during sleep

What is bruxism: Involuntary teeth grinding or clenching, occurring during sleep or wakefulness

What is obstructive sleep apnoea: A condition where the upper airway repeatedly collapses during sleep

What percentage of dental injuries in Australia are sports-related: 40%

What percentage of Australians wear a mouthguard during contact sport: 36%

What age group is most at risk of sports dental injuries in Australia: People under 25 (71% of cases)

What is the prevalence of orofacial trauma in rugby union players: 64.9%

What is the most common orofacial injury in rugby union players: Laceration to intraoral and extraoral soft tissues (44.5%)

Can wearing a mouthguard reduce dental injury risk: Yes, by more than half

Do mouthguards prevent concussion: No, evidence is unclear on concussion prevention

What sports have the highest dental injury risk: Australian Rules Football, basketball, netball, hockey, martial arts, and boxing

Should mouthguards be worn during training: Yes, not just during competition

What percentage of elite footballers wear mouthguards during match play: 90%

What percentage of junior players wear mouthguards during training: 2%

How many types of mouthguard are available to consumers: Three — stock, boil-and-bite, and custom-fabricated

Are boil-and-bite mouthguards adequate protection: No — they offer little or no protection

Can boil-and-bite mouthguards dislodge during play: Yes

How much can biting force thin a boil-and-bite mouthguard: Between 70% and 99%

Are custom mouthguards better than boil-and-bite in comfort: Yes, significantly better in fit and speech difficulty

What material are custom sports mouthguards made from: Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) thermoplastic

How is a custom mouthguard made: From a dental impression and plaster model of the teeth

Which arch does a sports mouthguard typically cover: The upper arch

What thickness is typical for a contact sport mouthguard: 4–6 mm in the impact zone

Can a custom mouthguard accommodate braces: Yes, a modified design accommodates brackets and wires

How many steps are in the custom mouthguard fabrication process at Smile Solutions: Five steps

What is the first step in making a custom mouthguard: Taking a dental impression of the upper arch

What is sleep bruxism prevalence in adults: 8% to 10% of adults

What is wake bruxism prevalence in the population: 22.1% to 31%

What is sleep bruxism prevalence in children: 15% to 40% of children

What damage can sleep bruxism cause: Tooth wear, fractures, and orofacial discomfort

What are common morning symptoms of bruxism: Jaw pain, fatigue, and temporal headaches

Does an occlusal splint cure bruxism: No, it does not eliminate grinding behaviour

What does an occlusal splint protect against: Tooth wear by acting as a sacrificial barrier

Is there strong evidence occlusal splints reduce grinding frequency: No, current evidence is insufficient

Is occlusal splint therapy considered a viable treatment for sleep bruxism: Yes, per 2024 BMC Oral Health systematic review

What type of splint is most commonly prescribed for bruxism: Hard acrylic Michigan-style splint

Which arch does an occlusal splint typically cover: Upper arch (maxilla)

Is OSA a contraindication for occlusal splints: Yes

Can occlusal splints worsen sleep apnoea: Yes

What should patients with both bruxism and OSA use instead of an occlusal splint: A mandibular advancement device

How does a mandibular advancement splint work: It protrudes the mandible to increase upper airway calibre and reduce collapsibility

When did MAS therapy emerge as an OSA treatment: Mid-1990s

By how much did MAS reduce apnoea-hypopnoea index in a landmark RCT: 53%

By how much did MAS reduce mean snoring frequency in a landmark RCT: 47%

Is CPAP still the gold standard for OSA treatment: Yes

When is MAS therapy appropriate over CPAP: When patients are unwilling or unable to tolerate CPAP

Is MAS well-evidenced for mild-to-moderate OSA: Yes

How many arches does a MAS cover: Both arches

What material is a MAS typically made from: Hard or flexible acrylic

What is the typical mandibular protrusion position for a MAS construction bite: 50–75% of maximum protrusion

What long-term dental changes are associated with MAS use: Reductions in overbite, overjet, and mandibular crowding

How much did overbite reduce over 11 years of MAS use in one study: 2.3 mm on average

How much did overjet reduce over 11 years of MAS use in one study: 1.9 mm on average

How often should MAS patients be reviewed at Smile Solutions: Every six months

What screening tool is used for OSA risk at Smile Solutions: STOP-BANG questionnaire

Is a formal sleep physician diagnosis required before MAS fabrication: Yes, polysomnography diagnosis is coordinated first

How many steps are in MAS fabrication at Smile Solutions: Six steps

What is the titration process for a MAS: Incremental mandibular advancement over several weeks

Is there an over-the-counter MAS alternative: Not recommended

Is private health insurance likely to cover a sports mouthguard: Often covered under extras

Is private health insurance likely to cover an occlusal splint: Often covered under major dental

Is private health insurance likely to cover a MAS: Often covered under major dental

What is a contraindication for MAS use: Insufficient teeth for retention or severe TMJ disease

Who is a candidate for a sports mouthguard: Anyone playing collision, contact, or limited-contact sport

Are patients with dental implants or crowns at higher risk needing a mouthguard: Yes, restorative work would be costly to replace

How long has Smile Solutions been providing dental care: Since 1993

Where is Smile Solutions located: Manchester Unity Building, Level 1 and 10, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne

How many clinicians does Smile Solutions have: 60 or more

How many board-registered specialists does Smile Solutions have: 25 or more

How many patients has Smile Solutions treated: Over 250,000

Is a referral required to book a specialist at Smile Solutions: No

What is the Smile Solutions contact number: 13 13 96

Smile Solutions custom mouthguards and dental splints: Protecting your teeth from sport, grinding, and sleep apnoea

Most patients who come through our doors at Smile Solutions treat protective appliances as an afterthought — something to ask about if there's time left after the check-up. That framing genuinely undersells what is arguably the most cost-effective category of dental treatment available to you. A custom-fitted mouthguard, occlusal splint, or mandibular advancement splint (MAS) can prevent thousands of dollars in restorative work, spare you months of pain and inconvenience, and, in the case of sleep apnoea management, meaningfully reduce serious systemic health risks.

This guide covers the three principal protective dental appliances we provide within our general dentistry framework: sports mouthguards, occlusal splints for bruxism, and mandibular advancement splints for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). It explains how each appliance works, how it is fabricated, what the clinical evidence says, and why the custom-fabricated version is clinically superior to anything you can pick up over the counter.

Why protective dental appliances belong in general dentistry

Protective appliances sit at the intersection of preventive and restorative care — they stop damage before it ever requires treatment. A knocked-out tooth, a worn-down molar, or an unmanaged apnoea event each carries cascading consequences for your oral and systemic health.

Oral damage is often irreversible, frequently complex, and costly to repair. Dental injuries can mean time off school or work, significant pain, and lengthy treatment to address the consequences.

The three appliances covered here serve distinct clinical purposes, are prescribed for different patient populations, and are fabricated using different techniques. They share one critical trait: their effectiveness depends almost entirely on precision of fit, and that precision can only be achieved through custom fabrication in a dental practice.

Part 1: Custom sports mouthguards

The scale of the problem in Australia

Sports-related injuries account for 40% of dental injuries in Australia, yet only 36% of Australians wear a mouthguard when playing contact sport.

The injury burden is not trivial. Around 2,000 dental injuries were treated in Victorian hospital emergency departments between 2002 and 2004, with people under 25 most at risk (71%). These injuries can be painful, disfiguring, and expensive to treat.

Research on rugby union players in New South Wales puts the stakes in concrete terms. The prevalence of orofacial trauma in rugby union players is 64.9%, with the most common injury being laceration to intraoral and extraoral soft tissues (44.5%), and 41.9% of all orofacial injuries involved the dentition.

Rates of orofacial trauma and complications in amateur rugby union players are high in Australia, and mouthguard use produces significant risk reduction for complications following dental injuries, including tooth loss.

The protective effect is real and measurable: wearing a mouthguard can reduce the risk of dental injuries by more than half. Whether mouthguards prevent concussions remains unclear from the evidence, but they are essential for any sport where dental injuries are common.

Which sports require a mouthguard?

The answer is broader than most patients assume. Australian Rules Football, basketball, netball, hockey, martial arts, and boxing carry the highest dental injury risk, but the risk extends well beyond obvious contact sports. Australian Rules Football, boxing, basketball, netball, cricket, hockey, and soccer together account for up to 14% of dental injuries, and any sport involving contact with equipment, collision with other players, or the possibility of a fall carries real risk.

The Australian Dental Association (ADA) and Sports Medicine Australia (SMA) jointly recommend wearing mouthguards not only during competition but during training too — a point that's frequently overlooked. Mouthguard use during match play varies between 60% for junior players and 90% for elite footballers, while use during training drops to just 2% for juniors and 40% for elite players.

Custom vs. over-the-counter: what the evidence shows

There are three categories of mouthguard available to Australian consumers: stock (one-size-fits-all), boil-and-bite (self-thermoplastic), and custom-fabricated. The clinical hierarchy here is unambiguous.

Boil-and-bite mouthguards — placed in hot water and self-fitted by biting into them — offer little or no protection and can dislodge during play. A critical biomechanical problem is material thinning: an athlete's uncontrolled biting force can thin a boil-and-bite mouthguard by 70%–99%, which destroys its protective capacity.

A 2024 randomised parallel-arm clinical trial published in Dental Traumatology (Doğan et al.) directly compared custom-made mouthguards of varying thicknesses against boil-and-bite alternatives in professional basketball players. Custom-made mouthguards consistently outperformed boil-and-bite mouthguards across all measurements, and the results suggest that thickness can be tailored based on sport, age, professional level, and the presence of other protective equipment. A meta-analysis of the same literature found that custom-made mouthguards significantly outperformed self-adapted types in comfort, particularly in fit (P = .0002) and speech difficulty (P < .00001), with breathing difficulty also lower in custom-made appliances.

Custom-fitted mouthguards are made from a dental impression and plaster model of the teeth, producing the best protection, fit, and comfort across all levels of sport.

How a custom sports mouthguard is made at Smile Solutions

The fabrication process at Smile Solutions Melbourne CBD involves five steps:

1. Dental impression — Alginate or a digital scan captures the precise contours of your upper arch (occasionally lower, depending on your occlusion and sport).
2. Plaster model — A stone cast is poured from the impression, providing the working model for the laboratory.
3. Vacuum or pressure forming — Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) sheeting is thermoplastically formed over the model under controlled pressure, producing consistent thickness throughout.
4. Trimming and finishing — The mouthguard is trimmed to the correct gingival margin, polished, and checked for occlusal balance.
5. Fitting appointment — You try the appliance in; your dentist checks retention, occlusion, and comfort, and makes any adjustments needed.

Your dentist can vary the EVA thickness based on your sport's specific demands. A contact sport like AFL or rugby warrants a thicker guard, typically 4–6 mm in the impact zone, compared to a lower-contact activity. The design can also be modified to accommodate brackets and wires if you're in orthodontic treatment.

Who at Smile Solutions should consider a sports mouthguard?

• Adults and children playing any collision, contact, or limited-contact sport
• Patients with significant restorative work — crowns, veneers, implants — that would be costly to replace
• Patients with orthodontic appliances
• Patients with prominent upper teeth, which are statistically more vulnerable to trauma

If any of these apply to you, raise it at your next appointment. Our clinicians can help you find the right level of protection for your lifestyle.

Part 2: Occlusal splints for bruxism (teeth grinding)

What is bruxism and how common is it?

Bruxism involves involuntary rhythmic contractions of the masseter muscles and excessive teeth grinding. It's a commonly overlooked condition, and it can occur during wakefulness or sleep.

Sleep bruxism affects 15%–40% of children and 8%–10% of adults. Wake bruxism affects 22.1%–31% of the population. The oral health consequences of sleep bruxism include tooth wear, fractures, and orofacial discomfort, along with morning jaw pain or fatigue, temporal headaches, and restricted temporomandibular joint movement.

One clinically important point: obstructive sleep apnoea is a contraindication to occlusal splints, because splints can worsen OSA. Patients with both bruxism and OSA should use a mandibular advancement device instead. This is why a thorough patient assessment before any splint is prescribed matters — something our team at Smile Solutions takes seriously as part of every treatment plan.

What an occlusal splint does — and what it doesn't

An occlusal splint is a removable appliance worn over the upper or lower arch, covering the dental surfaces, and is used primarily to prevent tooth wear.

The evidence base deserves honest framing. A Cochrane systematic review (Macedo et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2007) concluded that there is not enough evidence to show that occlusal splints can reduce sleep bruxism, and their indication is questionable with regard to sleep outcomes, though there may be some benefit for tooth wear. A 2021 systematic review in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation (Jokubauskas et al.) similarly found insufficient evidence to determine whether occlusal splint therapy provides a benefit over no treatment or other approaches.

However, a 2024 systematic review in BMC Oral Health (Farghal et al.) concluded that occlusal splint therapy is a viable treatment approach for sleep bruxism.

The clinical consensus, supported by StatPearls (NCBI, 2024), is that while splints may not eliminate the underlying parafunctional behaviour, they act as a sacrificial protective barrier — the splint wears instead of your teeth. For patients presenting with visible attrition, fractured restorations, or TMJ tenderness, this protective function is clinically valuable even without definitive evidence that grinding frequency is reduced.

Hard vs. soft splints: which is better for you?

The most commonly prescribed occlusal splint in general dentistry is the hard acrylic Michigan-style splint, worn on the upper arch. Soft thermoplastic splints are also available and generally less costly, but various splint designs exist, each with distinct benefits and drawbacks. Hard splints are generally preferred for patients with significant wear facets, as they provide a more stable occlusal platform and hold up better under high grinding forces. Your dentist at Smile Solutions will discuss which option suits your specific presentation.

Fabrication and fitting at Smile Solutions

1. Clinical assessment — Your dentist examines for wear facets, tooth fractures, masseter hypertrophy, and TMJ tenderness. A sleep history is taken to rule out OSA before an occlusal splint is prescribed.
2. Impressions — Upper and lower arch impressions are taken; both arches are needed to fabricate a correctly balanced splint.
3. Bite registration — A wax or silicone bite record captures your habitual occlusion.
4. Laboratory fabrication — A hard acrylic splint is processed over the stone model, typically covering the full upper arch.
5. Fitting and occlusal adjustment — Your dentist adjusts the splint with articulating paper to ensure even bilateral contacts and canine guidance on lateral excursions.
6. Review appointment — Typically scheduled 2–4 weeks after fitting to assess wear, comfort, and compliance.

Who at Smile Solutions is a candidate for an occlusal splint?

• Patients with flattened, worn, or chipped tooth surfaces (attrition)
• Patients reporting jaw soreness, headaches, or facial muscle pain on waking
• Patients with a history of fractured fillings or cracked teeth without a clear traumatic cause
• Patients with clinically confirmed TMJ tenderness or clicking
• Patients with high-stress lifestyles (bruxism has a well-established association with psychosocial stress)

Note: If you also report snoring, witnessed apnoeas, or excessive daytime sleepiness, you should be screened for OSA before an occlusal splint is prescribed — see the section below and our related guide on [Emergency Dental Care in Melbourne CBD](Not specified by manufacturer) for more context on how systemic conditions intersect with dental presentations.

Part 3: Mandibular advancement splints for obstructive sleep apnoea

The dental role in sleep medicine

Obstructive sleep apnoea has serious cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurocognitive consequences, yet the dental practice is often the first point of professional contact. Our dentists at Smile Solutions are well-placed to identify OSA risk factors during routine check-ups (see our guide on [Dental Check-Ups at Smile Solutions Melbourne CBD: What to Expect at Every Stage](Not specified by manufacturer)), because the oral examination reveals anatomical risk factors including a narrow palatal arch, macroglossia, retrognathia, and significant tonsil enlargement.

MAS therapy emerged as an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea in the mid-1990s and is now the leading treatment alternative for OSA. It works by protruding the mandible in relation to the maxilla, moving the tongue and soft palate forward to increase upper airway calibre and reduce its collapsibility.

How effective is a MAS?

A landmark randomised controlled trial published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (Neill et al., 2001) found that MAS produced a significant reduction in apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) by 53%, arousal index by 34%, mean snoring frequency by 47%, and mean intensity by 3 dB, compared with a control plate.

CPAP remains the gold-standard treatment for moderate-to-severe OSA, but it is appropriate to offer oral appliance therapy to patients who are unwilling or unable to persist with CPAP. MAS therapy is particularly well-evidenced for mild-to-moderate OSA and for patients who demonstrate CPAP intolerance — a common clinical scenario our team is experienced in managing.

Long-term dental monitoring for MAS patients

Long-term MAS use is associated with measurable dental changes, and patients should understand this before starting treatment. A retrospective study from the University of British Columbia (Pliska et al., Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2014) followed 77 patients over an average of 11.1 years and found significant reductions in overbite (2.3 ± 1.6 mm), overjet (1.9 ± 1.9 mm), and mandibular crowding (1.3 ± 1.8 mm).

MAS is an effective, noninvasive treatment option for snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea, and a well-informed clinician will discuss these dental changes openly with patients from the outset. This is why MAS patients at Smile Solutions are reviewed every six months — so we can monitor occlusal changes and adjust the appliance as needed.

MAS fabrication at Smile Solutions

1. Screening and referral coordination — Your dentist screens for OSA risk using validated tools (e.g., STOP-BANG questionnaire) and, where indicated, coordinates with a sleep physician for formal polysomnography diagnosis before fabrication begins.
2. Impressions of both arches — Full-arch impressions capture your precise dental anatomy.
3. Construction bite — A protrusive bite record is taken, typically positioning the mandible at 50–75% of maximum protrusion to balance efficacy with tolerance.
4. Laboratory fabrication — Each MAS is custom-made from dental impressions, with a wax interocclusal record taken with the mandible in the most protrusive position the patient can comfortably maintain, producing upper and lower removable clear acrylic plates with full occlusal coverage that fit onto both dental arches.
5. Titration appointments — Your dentist incrementally advances the mandibular component over several weeks until therapeutic effect is achieved or the maximum comfortable limit is reached.
6. Ongoing review — Regular monitoring for occlusal changes, TMJ comfort, and appliance integrity.

Who at Smile Solutions is a candidate for a MAS?

• Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of mild-to-moderate OSA from a sleep physician
• Patients with severe OSA who cannot tolerate CPAP
• Patients who snore significantly without a confirmed OSA diagnosis, where a MAS may be trialled under dental supervision
• Patients with concurrent bruxism and OSA, where a MAS addresses both conditions simultaneously — unlike an occlusal splint, which is contraindicated in OSA

If you recognise yourself in any of these descriptions, a consultation with our team is a sensible next step. Early intervention makes a genuine difference to both your oral health and your overall wellbeing.

Appliance comparison: quick reference

Key takeaways

• Sports-related injuries account for 40% of dental injuries in Australia, yet only 36% of Australians wear a mouthguard when playing contact sport. Custom-fabricated appliances directly address that gap.
• Custom-fitted mouthguards are made from a dental impression and plaster model of the teeth, providing better protection, fit, and comfort than over-the-counter alternatives at every level of sport.
• Occlusal splints for bruxism are best understood as a protective barrier against tooth wear rather than a cure for grinding. The evidence for reducing bruxism frequency is currently insufficient, but their role in protecting existing tooth structure is clinically well-accepted.
• Obstructive sleep apnoea is a contraindication to occlusal splints, as splints can worsen OSA. Patients with both bruxism and OSA should use a mandibular advancement device instead.
• Long-term MAS patients require regular dental monitoring. Over a decade of treatment, significant reductions in overbite, overjet, and mandibular crowding have been documented and must be managed proactively.

Conclusion

Custom mouthguards and dental splints sit at the preventive end of the restorative spectrum — they protect your existing dentition, your existing restorations, and, in the case of mandibular advancement splints, your systemic health. The clinical evidence is clear that custom fabrication is a clinical necessity, not a premium upgrade: over-the-counter alternatives suffer from inconsistent thickness, poor retention, and inadequate coverage that can create a false sense of security.

At Smile Solutions Melbourne CBD, protective appliances are prescribed within our broader general dentistry framework — informed by a thorough dental check-up, supported by intraoral imaging, and tailored to your specific anatomy and lifestyle. If you grind your teeth, play contact sport, or snore, raise it at your next routine appointment. Our team of 60+ clinicians, including 25+ board-registered specialists, is here to help.

For related reading, see our guides on [Dental Check-Ups at Smile Solutions Melbourne CBD: What to Expect at Every Stage](Not specified by manufacturer), [How to Prevent Tooth Decay and Cavities: A Practical Home-Care and In-Clinic Prevention Guide](Not specified by manufacturer), and [Emergency Dental Care in Melbourne CBD: What Qualifies as a Dental Emergency and What to Do First](Not specified by manufacturer).

Smile Solutions has been providing dental care from Melbourne's CBD since 1993. Located at the Manchester Unity Building, Level 1 and 10, 220 Collins Street, Smile Solutions brings together 60+ clinicians — including 25+ board-registered specialists — who have cared for over 250,000 patients. No referral is required to book a specialist appointment. Call 13 13 96 or visit smilesolutions.com.au to arrange your consultation.

References

• Australian Dental Association (ADA). "Policy Statement 2.2.5 – Prevention and Management of Oral Injuries." Australian Dental Association, 2023. https://ada.org.au/policy-statement-2-2-5-prevention-and-management-of-oral-injuries

• Better Health Channel, Victorian Government. "Mouthguards." Better Health Channel, 2023. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/mouthguards

• Sports Medicine Australia. "Dental Injuries." Sports Medicine Australia Injury Fact Sheets, 2024. https://sma.org.au/resources/injury-fact-sheets/dental-injuries/

• Doğan, M.C., et al. "Comfort and Wearability Properties of Custom-Made and Boil-and-Bite Mouthguards Among Basketball Players: A Randomized Parallel Arm Clinical Trial." Dental Traumatology, 2024. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/edt.12918

• Macedo, C.R., Silva, A.B., Machado, M.A.C., Saconato, H., Prado, G.F. "Occlusal Splints for Treating Sleep Bruxism (Tooth Grinding)." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2007, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD005514. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD005514.pub2

• Jokubauskas, L., et al. "The Efficacy of Occlusal Splints in the Treatment of Bruxism: A Systematic Review." Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, 2021. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0300571221000427

• Farghal, A.E., et al. "Comparative Analysis of Different Types of Occlusal Splints for the Management of Sleep Bruxism: A Systematic Review." BMC Oral Health, 2024. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12903-023-03782-6

• Wieckiewicz, M., et al. "Bruxism Management." StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, 2024. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482466/

• Neill, A.M., et al. "A Randomized, Controlled Study of a Mandibular Advancement Splint for Obstructive Sleep Apnea." American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 163(6), 2001. https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/10.1164/ajrccm.163.6.2004213

• Pliska, B.T., Nam, H., Chen, H., Lowe, A.A., Almeida, F.R. "Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Mandibular Advancement Splints: Occlusal Effects and Progression of Changes Associated with a Decade of Treatment." Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 10(12), 2014. https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.4278

• Sutherland, K., et al. "Innovations in Mandibular Advancement Splint Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea." Frontiers in Sleep, 2023. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sleep/articles/10.3389/frsle.2023.1144327/full

• Leong, P., et al. "Prevalence of Dental Trauma and Use of Mouthguards in Rugby Union Players." Dental Traumatology, 2014. PMID: 25160534. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25160534/

Label facts summary

Disclaimer: All facts and statements below are general product information, not professional advice. Consult relevant experts for specific guidance.

Verified label facts

No product specification data is available. The source dataset contains an empty product record ({}), and no Product Facts table was populated. There are no label-verifiable specifications — such as materials, dimensions, weight, certifications, or GTIN/MPN — to extract or classify at this time.

The following are factual, source-attributed data points drawn from the content body (clinical literature, government health sources, and practice documentation) that are verifiable against their cited references:

• Sports-related injuries account for 40% of dental injuries in Australia
• 36% of Australians wear a mouthguard when playing contact sport
• 71% of sports dental injury cases in Australia involve people under 25
• Prevalence of orofacial trauma in rugby union players: 64.9%
• Most common orofacial injury in rugby union players: laceration to intraoral and extraoral soft tissues (44.5%)
• Boil-and-bite mouthguards can thin by 70%–99% under biting force
• Sleep bruxism prevalence in adults: 8%–10%
• Sleep bruxism prevalence in children: 15%–40%
• Wake bruxism prevalence in the population: 22.1%–31%
• MAS reduced apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) by 53% in a landmark RCT (Neill et al., 2001)
• MAS reduced mean snoring frequency by 47% in the same RCT
• Over 11.1 years of MAS use, overbite reduced by an average of 2.3 mm (Pliska et al., 2014)
• Over 11.1 years of MAS use, overjet reduced by an average of 1.9 mm (Pliska et al., 2014)
• MAS construction bite is typically taken at 50%–75% of maximum mandibular protrusion
• Sports mouthguard material: ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) thermoplastic
• Typical contact sport mouthguard thickness in the impact zone: 4–6 mm
• Sports mouthguard fabrication at Smile Solutions: five steps
• MAS fabrication at Smile Solutions: six steps
• Smile Solutions location: Manchester Unity Building, Level 1 and 10, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne
• Smile Solutions has operated since 1993
• Smile Solutions has 60+ clinicians, including 25+ board-registered specialists
• Smile Solutions has treated over 250,000 patients
• Smile Solutions contact number: 13 13 96
• OSA screening tool used at Smile Solutions: STOP-BANG questionnaire

General product claims

• Custom-fitted mouthguards are described as the most cost-effective category of dental treatment available
• Custom mouthguards are stated to provide superior protection, fit, and comfort compared to over-the-counter alternatives
• Boil-and-bite mouthguards are stated to offer little or no protection and can dislodge during play
• Occlusal splints are characterised as a sacrificial protective barrier against tooth wear, not a cure for bruxism
• MAS therapy is described as the leading treatment alternative for OSA when CPAP is not tolerated
• Smile Solutions clinicians are described as well-placed to identify OSA risk factors during routine check-ups
• Custom fabrication is characterised as a clinical necessity rather than a premium option
• MAS is stated to address both bruxism and OSA simultaneously in patients presenting with both conditions
• Smile Solutions is described as providing world-class dental care
• No referral is stated to be required to book a specialist appointment at Smile Solutions