A Brief History Of The Mouthguard

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A Brief History Of The Mouthguard

The exact origins of the mouthguard aren't completely known or clear. In fact, more than one person has staked claim to the invention of the mouthguard. Wolf Krause, a British dentist, is credited for inventing the first mouthguard in 1892 made from a material called gutta percha, a latex rubber produced from sap in gutta-percha trees. Most historians believe that this version of the mouthguard was first used in the sport of boxing to prevent lip lacerations which was a common injury in the sport. Originally boxers wore mouthguards that were put together with cotton, tape, sponges or small pieces of wood.

Dr. Krause's son, Phillip, who was also a dentist, was credited with the invention of the first reusable mouthguard in 1921 made out of a material called Vella rubber. This Mouthguard was used in a 1921 championship fight between Jack Britton and Ted Lewis. Lewis was the first professional boxer to use Krause's new technology.

Jacob Marks also claimed to have invented the first mouthguard in the early 1900's. He created custom-fitted mouthguards in London.

An American dentist based in Chicago, Thomas Carlos also claimed to have invented a mouthguard in 1916.

E. Allen Franke DDS was reported to have made mouthguards for boxers also in the early 1900's.

After a boxing match between Mike McTigue and Jack Starkey in 1927 the mouthguard gained relevance. McTigue was winning most of the fight until he chipped his tooth which cut his lip. Even though he was said to have been winning the fight he was forced to forfeit the fight. From that point on, mouthguards became common for boxers to wear.

The first basketball player to reportedly wear a mouthguard was Dick Perry, a UCLA basketball player in 1947. The mouthguard invented by a Los Angeles dentist, Rodney O. Lilyquist. It was made of a transparent acrylic resin and was molded to fit the teeth.. He called it the "acrylic splint". It was said to be much thinner than the mouthguards worn by boxers.

Shortly after, the acrylic mouthguard was worn by Frankie Albert, a quarterback for the San Francisco 49er's. Albert was the first known professional athlete to wear the acrylic mouthguard.

In 1950, Oliver Scott Miller designed and filed for a patent on a mouthguard called "Protector For The Lips And Teeth", more commonly known as a lip guard or pacifier mouthguard. His original design was meant to be attached to the chinstrap because face masks in American football weren't prevalent in the sport yet.

By the 1950's the American Dental Association (ADA) started performing research on mouthguards and promoted the advantages and benefits to the public. In 1960, the ADA recommended the use of mouthguards made of latex for all sports. In 1962, the ADA mandated every high school football player to wear mouthguards. In 1973, the National Collegiate Association (NCAA) made mouthguards mandatory for college football players.

Starting in the early 1990's, US dentists and dental laboratories started fabricating custom mouthguards out of a high-heat pressure-laminated material called ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), also known as poly. By the end of the 20th century, companies started inventing materials with thermo-plastics which led to the invention of the boil-and-bite mouthguard.

Today, mouthguards are seen in nearly every sport. The education on how important mouthguards is evident today by the number of athletes that wear them, but in my opinion needs to be pushed even further. Mouthguards have advanced greatly since Dr. Krause's original mouthguard was introduced in 1892. Mouthguard materials have also advanced rapidly in the last 10 years, and with the advancement in new materials, mouthguards are thinner, more flexible and wear resistant.

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