Rates of oral injuries in Alberta due to ice hockey comprise a significant portion of the injuries that players sustain. Oral injuries occur mostly when a player is struck with a puck or stick, and the rest of the body is injured primarily through collisions. Dental practitioners can help ice hockey athletes prevent oral and dental injuries through encouraging the use of mouthguards (custom over boil and bite) and continuing to wear full-face protection.

This population-based report quantifies the rates and frequency of ED utilization for DPAT in the province of Alberta, Canada. The information gathered is important to support injury prevention initiatives using a population-based approach targeting the high-risk groups of the population identified by this study.