Dental trauma and tongue injuries in professional alpine ski racing—A worldwide survey

Abstract

Background/Aim Skiing is a sport with a medium risk of injuries, and injuries are increasingly common among professional alpine skiers. Examples of other medium‐risk sports are for example handball, basketball, and karate. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of dental trauma in professional alpine skiing and to determine whether the frequency of dental injuries is associated with a skier's performance level, alpine skiing discipline, and/or years of skiing experience. Material and methods A questionnaire consisting of 17 questions was distributed to professional male ski racers to gather information about their skiing discipline (category), performance level, and injuries, particularly dental trauma. Results A total of 161 out of 190 skiers returned the survey, with a response rate of 84.2%. Of these, 134 (83.2%) had suffered alpine ski racing‐related injuries during their career and 38 (23.6%) reported skiing‐related dental trauma—most commonly crown fractures (65.8%, n = 25), which mainly involved the maxillary or mandibular incisors (76.0%, n = 28). Ski racers with higher performance levels were more likely to experience dental injuries, but the difference in the frequency of dental trauma between participants in the speed versus technical category was not significant. Likewise, the number of years of ski racing experience did not impact the frequency of dental injuries. The participants rarely wore custom‐made mouthguards (6.8%, n = 11). None of those who reported dental injuries were wearing a custom‐made mouthguard when the injury occured. They preferred to wear chin guards, over‐the‐counter mouthguards, or no mouthguards. Conclusion Professional alpine ski racing has a medium risk of dental trauma, which further increases with skier performance level. The participating skiers rarely wore custom‐made mouthguards.

We know a lot about little and little about a lot: A contextualized scoping review on injury prevention in alpine ski racing

“…As such, the need to include the offseason period has been recently emphasized, as there is a risk of underestimating injury occurrence, as well as injury risks and patterns that differ among season periods with a special focus on gradual onset injuries. 1,3,54 Furthermore, different terminology and criteria were used by researchers and federations concerning alpine skiers' competition levels, ranging from national performance-driven criteria (e.g., Austria and Switzerland), 2,42,54,116,130,171 and FIS poi nts 40,96,97,98,101,117,128,145 to the WC Start List. 42 Again, the lack of consensus and such differences make comparing studies highly troublesome.…”

Shock Absorption Behavior of Elastic Polymers for Sports Mouthguards: An In Vitro Comparison of Thermoplastic Forming and Additive Manufacturing

“…Mechanical impacts to the teeth and jaw can happen in a wide range of activities, especially combat sports, ball sports or sports with a high risk of falling such as skiing, skating, or biking [1][2][3]. Therefore, it is advisable to wear a sports mouthguard [4].…”

Prevention of maxillofacial injuries through analysis of mechanisms, patterns, and long‐term sequalae

“…In fact, a general search in PubMed presents over 800 results when looking for the term “sports mouthguard”. Several of these studies have been published within Dental Traumatology 1–14 . The American National Standards Institute/American Dental Association has specified three main types of mouthguards as well as their desired properties such as hardness and impact absorption 15 .…”

“…Several of these studies have been published within Dental Traumatology. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] The American National Standards Institute/American Dental Association has specified three main types of mouthguards as well as their desired properties such as hardness and impact absorption. 15 As oral healthcare providers, patients often approach us for advice on protecting their dentition during contact and non-contact sports.…”