RugbyNCT04064099
Speech Adaptation When Using Mouthguards
A study testing Custom-fitted sports mouthguard in people with Rugby, run by Amy Liew at 1 site in Malaysia.
Trial summary
The aim of this study is to evaluate the speech performance of professional rugby players when using custom-fitted mouthguards over a six-month period. Consented players will be given custom-fitted mouthguards and they will be instructed on the use and care of the mouthguards. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 35 years, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Rugby
- What is being tested?
- Custom-fitted sports mouthguard
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 35 participants
- Where
- 1 siteMalaysia
- Study dates
- 4 Oct 2017to 8 Mar 2019
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 35 years
- Men only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Men aged between 18 and 35;
- Actively playing rugby;
- Currently playing in Malaysia Rugby Union;
- Native speakers of Malay (national language), with the ability to read and write in Malay fluently; and
- Without any history of either speech or hearing impairment.
Who cannot join
- Retired players;
- National players who did not play rugby within the last six months of the recruitment date; and
- Players with cleft lip and/or cleft palate; and
- Players with any history of either speech or hearing impairment.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
The aim of this study is to evaluate the speech performance of professional rugby players when using custom-fitted mouthguards over a six-month period. Consented players will be given custom-fitted mouthguards and they will be instructed on the use and care of the mouthguards. At five time points: baseline, immediately following mouthguard use (T1), one-week after- (T2), one-month after- (T3) and six-month after use (T4), participants are required to pronounce four selected phonemes. Three recordings will be made for each phoneme. Spectrspectrographic analysis will be performed to assess the acoustic characteristics of the sound. Concurrently, they will be asked to fill up a questionnaire on self-assessment of oral impairments. Throughout the six-month period, the compliance of wearing mouthguards and the occurrence of dental trauma during training will be monitored on-site by the researcher or if not available, an assigned coach. A 24-hour helpline will be provided as a surveillance tool to monitor problems with mouthguards and dental trauma.
Read the detailed description
Rugby exposes players to increased risk of dental trauma. Thus, mouthguard use is recommended to provide a resilient surface for shock absorption and impact dissipation. However, some discontinued using mouthguard complaint that general discomfort and speech disturbance are the main barriers to their compliance. The nuisance is largely due to their use of poorly-fitted stock or boil-and-bite mouthguards. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to evaluate speech adaptations when using custom-fitted mouthguards. The secondary objective is to assess the incidence of dental trauma within the six-month duration of mouthguard use. A prospective study will be carried out at the National Sports Institute. During the first day (T0), a workshop on the prevention and management of dental trauma will be carried out. Then, dental examination, dental impression, and recording of baseline speech performance will be performed. During the second visit (T1), mouthguards delivery, self-assessment of oral impairments, and speech recording will be carried out. After 6-months of monitoring (T2), all participants will be called again to fill in the self-assessment form and final speech performance will be recorded. Data analysis will be carried out to evaluate the self-assessment of speech performance and digital sonography of speech recordings over time. Also, the incidence of dental trauma will be reported.
- Conditions
- Rugby
- Being tested
- Custom-fitted sports mouthguard
- Keywords
- dental trauma, rugby, mouthguard, speech, contact sports
- Medical subject headings
- Speech
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Custom-fitted sports mouthguardDevice
Pressure dual laminated technique will be used to fabricate the mouthguards. Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) thermoplastic sheets of 3 mm in thickness with 125 mm diameter (Dentsply International Raintree Essix, Court East Sarasota, USA) will be used. Two 3 mm sheets pressure-laminated together should form an even thickness of 4 mm mouthguard. The design of the mouthguards takes into consideration of the following limits: (i) the labial borders of the mouthguard were extended to within 2 mm of the vestibular reflection, (ii) the palatal margins were trimmed to the cervical area of the palatal surface of the upper teeth, (iii) enclosing the maxillary teeth to the distal surface of the first molars.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Rugby Players | Experimental | Rugby player will be given custom-fitted mouthguards to be worn for 6-month Receives: Device: Custom-fitted sports mouthguard |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change of speech performance over a six-month period
Participants will be asked to pronounce the words (paku for phoneme /p/, bola for phoneme /b/, tatu for phoneme /t/, and dadu for phoneme /d/) one by one when it was shown on the computer screen. Three recordings were obtained for each word.
Measured: Baseline (T0), immediately after (T1), one-week after (T2), one-month after (T3) and six-month after (T4) mouthguard use
Secondary outcomes (1)
Change of self-assessment of oral impairments over a six-month period
A questionnaire with a list of oral impairments and five-point Likert scale will be used. The scale name is "Specific problem when using the mouthguard given". Participants will be asked to rate how often they experience the following problems: (i) loose mouthguard, (ii) difficulty speaking, (iii) lisping, (iv) nausea, (v) breathing difficulty, (vi) bulkiness in mouth, (vii) dryness of mouth, (viii) bad breath, (ix) ulcers/sores in mouth, and (x) redness in mouth. The five-point Likert scales have these values: 1=never, 2=rarely, 3=sometimes, 4=often, 5=always. Median score for each question will be reported. Higher values represent worse outcomes.
Measured: Baseline (T0), immediately after (T1), one-week after (T2), one-month after (T3) and six-month after (T4) mouthguard use
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted21 Aug 2019
- Study start4 Oct 2017
- Primary completion25 Jan 2019
- Study completion8 Mar 2019
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for RugbyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- Single group pre- and post- design
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 35 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Amy Liew
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Amy Liew, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre
- Investigators
- Amy Liew, Principal investigator, National University of Malaysia
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04064099
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- UKMPPI/111/8/JEP-2017-439
- Status last verified
- Aug 2019
- First submitted
- 7 Aug 2019
- Last updated
- 21 Aug 2019
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Mat Zainal MK, Liew AKC, Abdullah D, Soo E, Abdul Hamid B, Ramlee RAM. Changes in oral functions and speech when using custom-fitted mouthguards: An uncontrolled before-and-after study. Dent Traumatol. 2024 Aug;40(4):460-469. doi: 10.1111/edt.12939. Epub 2024 Mar 8.
PubMed 38459669
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 21 Aug 2019. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Speech Adaptation When Using Mouthguards
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04064099
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- UKMPPI/111/8/JEP-2017-439
- Conditions
- Rugby
- Keywords
- dental trauma, rugby, mouthguard, speech, contact sports
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 35 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Amy LiewUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 4 Oct 2017 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 25 Jan 2019 (actual)
- Study completion
- 8 Mar 2019 (actual)
- First posted
- 21 Aug 2019 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the speech performance of professional rugby players when using custom-fitted mouthguards over a six-month period. Consented players will be given custom-fitted mouthguards and they will be instructed on the use and care of the mouthguards. At five time points: baseline, immediately following mouthguard use (T1), one-week after- (T2), one-month after- (T3) and six-month after use (T4), participants are required to pronounce four selected phonemes. Three recordings will be made for each phoneme. Spectrspectrographic analysis will be performed to assess the acoustic characteristics of the sound. Concurrently, they will be asked to fill up a questionnaire on self-assessment of oral impairments. Throughout the six-month period, the compliance of wearing mouthguards and the occurrence of dental trauma during training will be monitored on-site by the researcher or if not available, an assigned coach. A 24-hour helpline will be provided as a surveillance tool to monitor problems with mouthguards and dental trauma.
Detailed description
Rugby exposes players to increased risk of dental trauma. Thus, mouthguard use is recommended to provide a resilient surface for shock absorption and impact dissipation. However, some discontinued using mouthguard complaint that general discomfort and speech disturbance are the main barriers to their compliance. The nuisance is largely due to their use of poorly-fitted stock or boil-and-bite mouthguards. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to evaluate speech adaptations when using custom-fitted mouthguards. The secondary objective is to assess the incidence of dental trauma within the six-month duration of mouthguard use. A prospective study will be carried out at the National Sports Institute. During the first day (T0), a workshop on the prevention and management of dental trauma will be carried out. Then, dental examination, dental impression, and recording of baseline speech performance will be performed. During the second visit (T1), mouthguards delivery, self-assessment of oral impairments, and speech recording will be carried out. After 6-months of monitoring (T2), all participants will be called again to fill in the self-assessment form and final speech performance will be recorded. Data analysis will be carried out to evaluate the self-assessment of speech performance and digital sonography of speech recordings over time. Also, the incidence of dental trauma will be reported.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- Single group pre- and post- design
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Rugby Players | Experimental | Device: Custom-fitted sports mouthguardRugby player will be given custom-fitted mouthguards to be worn for 6-month |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 35 years
- Sex
- Male only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Men aged between 18 and 35;
- Actively playing rugby;
- Currently playing in Malaysia Rugby Union;
- Native speakers of Malay (national language), with the ability to read and write in Malay fluently; and
- Without any history of either speech or hearing impairment.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Retired players;
- National players who did not play rugby within the last six months of the recruitment date; and
- Players with cleft lip and/or cleft palate; and
- Players with any history of either speech or hearing impairment.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Custom-fitted sports mouthguardPressure dual laminated technique will be used to fabricate the mouthguards. Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) thermoplastic sheets of 3 mm in thickness with 125 mm diameter (Dentsply International Raintree Essix, Court East Sarasota, USA) will be used. Two 3 mm sheets pressure-laminated together should form an even thickness of 4 mm mouthguard. The design of the mouthguards takes into consideration of the following limits: (i) the labial borders of the mouthguard were extended to within 2 mm of the vestibular reflection, (ii) the palatal margins were trimmed to the cervical area of the palatal surface of the upper teeth, (iii) enclosing the maxillary teeth to the distal surface of the first molars. | Device | Rugby Players |
Primary outcome
Change of speech performance over a six-month period
Time frame: Baseline (T0), immediately after (T1), one-week after (T2), one-month after (T3) and six-month after (T4) mouthguard use
Participants will be asked to pronounce the words (paku for phoneme /p/, bola for phoneme /b/, tatu for phoneme /t/, and dadu for phoneme /d/) one by one when it was shown on the computer screen. Three recordings were obtained for each word.
1 secondary outcome
Change of self-assessment of oral impairments over a six-month period
Time frame: Baseline (T0), immediately after (T1), one-week after (T2), one-month after (T3) and six-month after (T4) mouthguard use
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 21 Aug 2019.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 38459669Mat Zainal MK, Liew AKC, Abdullah D, Soo E, Abdul Hamid B, Ramlee RAM. Changes in oral functions and speech when using custom-fitted mouthguards: An uncontrolled before-and-after study. Dent Traumatol. 2024 Aug;40(4):460-469. doi: 10.1111/edt.12939. Epub 2024 Mar 8.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Amy Liew principal investigator
National University of Malaysia
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Custom-fitted sports mouthguard in people with Rugby, run by Amy Liew at 1 site in Malaysia.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Aug 2019. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Malaysia. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change of speech performance over a six-month period (time frame: Baseline (T0), immediately after (T1), one-week after (T2), one-month after (T3) and six-month after (T4) mouthguard use). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04064099, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 21 Aug 2019.