Orodental injury and mouthguard usage in Dutch and international field hockey.

BACKGROUND: Mouthguards are used to prevent players from orodental injuries in field hockey. However, such injuries are still a common problem. This study describes the prevalence of orodental injury and the related mouthguard usage in field hockey.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A 19-item questionnaire was distributed in the Dutch field hockey competition and at the international Master World Cup. In total, 1213 questionnaires were collected. Standard descriptive statistics were used to describe the samples. Associations between data were determined using the Pearson Chi-Square test.

RESULTS: The prevalence of orodental injuries during the career of hockey players was 20% in Dutch players, and 29% in international players. Mouthguard usage among Dutch players was 95%, and among international players 88%. There was no significant association between wearing a mouthguard or not with respect to whether or not treatment was requested as a result of an orodental injury (Dutch p =0.43; international p =0.22).

CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the prevalence of orodental injuries in field hockey are high, while the majority of the players use a 'protective' mouthguard. These results imply that the current mouthguards may not provide enough protection against the forces used in field hockey. Key words: Mouthguard, prevention, sports, dental injury.