title: Effects of a single and double commercial athletic mouthpiece on expiratory peak flow: a pilot study.
abstract: Utilizing an Assess Peak Flow Meter, six healthy subjects with no lung disease volunteered to have their expiratory peak flow measured under the following five conditions: 1. Biting on the oral tube of the peak flow meter and lip-sealing the tube; 2. Using a custom built diaphragm allowing the subject to lip-seal the tube of the peak flow meter without biting on it; 3. Using orange wood blocks of known dimension bilaterally on the posterior occlusion, and a custom built diaphragm allowing the subject to lip-seal the oral tube of the peak flow meter without biting on it; 4. Using a commercial single (maxillary) athletic mouthpiece and a custom built diaphragm allowing the subject to lip-seal the oral tube of the peak flow meter without biting on it; and 5. Using a commercial double (maxillary and mandibular) athletic mouthpiece and a custom built diaphragm allowing the subject to lip-seal the oral tube of the peak flow meter without biting on it. Expiratory peak flow measurements were virtually the same whether the subjects bit and lip-sealed on the oral tube of the peak flow meter, used the custom diaphragm and lip-sealed without biting on the oral tube of the peak flow meter, or bit on the orange wood blocks while using the custom diaphragm and lip-sealing without biting on the oral tube. There was significant deterioration (p < .0001) in expiratory peak flow volume when either the single or double commercial athletic mouthpieces were employed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics-Post Graduate Periodontics, Univeristy of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Dental School, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009064:Mouth Protectors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000295:instrumentation*