| abstract |
An athletic mouthguard adapted for use by athletes and other persons engaged in physical activities which might result in occlusal or craniofacial stress. In one embodiment, the athletic mouthguard is a unitary structure which comprises a mouthpiece and an elongated strap adapted for attachment to the face mask of a helmet or the like. The mouthpiece, which is designed for use over the upper set of teeth of the wearer, includes an inner peripheral wall, an outer peripheral wall, and a connecting wall, the inner surfaces of which define a channel. The occlusal surface of the channel is more narrow in the anterior region and becomes more broad as one moves posteriorly so as to accommodate the non-uniform widths of the various teeth. In addition, the occlusal surface of the channel becomes progressively more concavely-shaped as one moves posteriorly from the first bicuspid tooth to accommodate the increasing convexity of the posterior teeth. The buccal surface of the channel is shaped to a pair of retention bars, which serve to retain the mouthpiece against the upper set of teeth. The inner peripheral wall and the outer peripheral wall of the mouthpiece curve and taper in the vestibule and palatal areas to conform to the shape of the upper jaw. The connecting wall is thicker in the posterior regions than in the anterior regions so that an upwardly directed blow is delivered more to the posterior teeth than to the anterior teeth. |