Preventive effects of mouthguard use while sleeping on recurrent aphthous stomatitis: Preliminary interventional study

Abstract

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is the most common inflammatory ulceration in the oral mucosa of otherwise healthy individuals and is often accompanied by severe pain. However, the etiology of RAS is not completely understood, and currently, no therapy can completely prevent RAS recurrence. In our clinical experience, we noticed that patients using a night guard, which is often used for bruxism treatment, did not develop RAS. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether mouthguard use can suppress RAS development. The cohort of this interventional, prospective, single-center, and self-controlled study included 20 subjects who developed RAS at least once a month. The oral health of all the subjects was recorded for 60 days before and after intervention with a mouthguard. The average number of RAS incidences decreased from 5.5 to 1.0, the average days until healing decreased from 7.3 to 5.6, and the period with RAS decreased from 31.5 to 5.0 with mouthguard use. Mouthguard use may be beneficial for preventing RAS development.