FEM Analysis of the Effects of Mouth guard material properties on the Head and Brain under Mandibular Impact

Kang, Nam Hyun; Kim, Hyung Sub; Woo, Yi Hyung; Choi, Dae Gyun

Abstract

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM & PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a mouth guard material properties on the skull and brain when they were under impact loads on mandible. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two customized mouth protectors having different material propeerst ieach other were made for a female Korean who had no history of brain trauma, no cerebral diseases, nomal occlusion and natural dentition. The 3D finite element model of human skull and brain scanned by means of computed tomography was constructed. The FEM model of head was composed of 407,825 elements and 82,138 nodes, including skull, brain, maxilla, mandible, articular disc, teeth and mouth guard. The stress concentrations on maxillary teeth, maxilla and skull with two mouth guards were evaluated under oblique impact load of 800N onto mandibular 3 loading points for 0.1sec. And the brain relative displacement was compared in two different mouth guard materials under same condition. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: The results were as follows; 1. In comparison of von Mises stress on maxillary teeth, a soft mouth guard material had significantly lower stress values on measuring point than a hard mouth protector materials (P < .05). 2. In comparison of von Mises stress on maxilla and skull, A soft mouth protector material had significantly lower stress values on measuring point than a hard mouth protector materials (P < .05). 3. For impact loads on mandible, there were more stress concentrated area on maxilla and skull with hard mouth guard than soft with mouth protector. 4. For impact loads on mandible, brain relative displacement had little relation with mouth guard material properties. In results of this study, soft mouth guard materials were superior to hard mouth guard materials for mandible impact loads for prevention of sports injuries. Although the results of this study were not enough to figure out the roles of needed mouth guard material properties for a human head, we got some knowledge of the pattern about stress concentration and distribution on maxilla and skull for impact loads with soft or hard mouth protector. More studies are needed to substantiate the relationship between the mouth guard materials and sports injuries.