Speech Performance of Rugby Players When Using Different Types of Mouthguard

NCT04010500 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: UKMPPI/111/8/JEP-2018-278
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Speech

Keywords

dental trauma; rugby; mouthguard; speech; contact sports

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Mean voice onset time

  The delay between the start of the speech sound and the beginning of vocal cord vibration (in millisecond)

  Immediate

Study Arms (1)

Rugby Players

EXPERIMENTAL

Device: no mouthguard; Device: 'boil and bite' mouthguard; Device: custom-fitted mouthguard

Interventions

no mouthguard DEVICE

Control (not using mouthguard)

Rugby Players

'boil and bite' mouthguard DEVICE

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.

Rugby Players

custom-fitted mouthguard DEVICE

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).

Rugby Players

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• adult female aged 18 years old and older
• currently representing the nation and participating actively in rugby
• native speakers of Malay (national language)

You may not qualify if:

• 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)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Amy Liew: lead

Study Sites (1)

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, 50300, Malaysia

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Speech

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Verbal Behavior; Communication; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Lecturer

Model Details: 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.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 28, 2019
• First Posted: July 8, 2019
• Study Start: May 18, 2018
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2018
• Study Completion: December 31, 2018
• Last Updated: July 8, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

MY (1)