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Public release date: 26-Mar-2001
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Dental evaluation of scuba diving mouthpieces using a subject assessment index and radiological analysis of jaw position 2001; 35: 84-8
Standard design mouthpieces used by scuba divers are potentially hazardous, finds a study from Newcastle and Dundee Dental Schools in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The design has changed little since the 1940s, when scuba equipment was first introduced. The use of these mouthpieces may result in vertigo and disorientation, both of which have been implicated in accidents and death under water.
Six men tried out three mouthpieces for 45 minutes at a time. A standard model made of rubber and silicone with the bite blocks designed to be gripped by the front (canine) and middle (premolar) teeth was compared with a semi-customised model made of silicone and a fully customised model made of the same material but designed to allow for grip by more teeth at the back of the mouth.
The effort required to hold the mouthpiece in place, muscle pain and fatigue, tooth discomfort, and lip numbness were all assessed, and jaw position was determined by X-ray.
The fully customised mouthpieces caused the least pain, discomfort, and lip numbness. The standard mouthpiece required almost twice as much effort to hold it in place, and caused twice as much pain as the fully customised model.
And fully customised models also caused the least jaw displacement. This is important, say the authors, because scuba mouthpieces can cause local inflammation of the jaw because of awkward loading of the joint in around two thirds of divers. This can affect the balance function of the ear, which is potentially hazardous when diving.
Contact:
Dr Ross Hobson, Department of Child Dental Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne. R.S.Hobson@ncl.ac.uk
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