National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Preventing and Managing Sport-Related Dental and Oral Injuries

Abstract

Objective: To provide athletic trainers, health care professionals, and all those responsible for the care of athletes with clinical recommendations for preventing and managing sportrelated dental and oral injuries.Background: Participation in competitive sports continues to grow at both the interscholastic and intercollegiate levels. Therefore, exposure to, and the incidence of athletic-related injury, including orofacial injury, will also likely increase. At the time of this writing, the leading governing agencies for interscholastic (National Federation of State High School Associations) and intercollegiate (National Collegiate Athletic Association) sports require only protective orofacial equipment (eg, mouthguards) for 5 and 4, respectively, of their sanctioned sports. Although orofacial injuries represent a small percentage of all sport-related injuries, the financial burden associated with these injuries (eg, tooth avulsion) can exceed $15 000 over an adult life. Therefore, effective management of sport-related dental injuries is critical to the long-term financial, physical, and emotional health of people who have experienced dental trauma.Recommendations: Based upon the current evidence regarding sport-related orofacial injury, we provide recommendations related to planning considerations, education, and mouthguard efficacy, material, fabrication, and care considerations. Additionally, suggested best practices for managing sport-related dental injury are also given for athletic trainers and other health care professionals.

Trends and characteristics of maxillofacial fractures sustained during sports activities in Japan

“…Unfortunately, information about the use of mouthguards was not obtained for all patients in the present study. Wearing a mouthguard is considered effective to protect against orofacial injury and to prevent tooth fracture and avulsion. A laboratory study has suggested that a mouthguard might reduce the incidence of concussion and mandibular fracture .…”

“…A laboratory study has suggested that a mouthguard might reduce the incidence of concussion and mandibular fracture . However, there has been no evidence as to the efficacy of a mouthguard preventing concussion . In addition, it may not be as effective for preventing maxillofacial fractures, as a large number of fractures were observed in the zygoma and the angle and body of the mandible by direct impact.…”

The use of mouthguards and prevalence of dento‐alveolar trauma among athletes: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…Contact sports are those in which participants establish direct physical contact with other players or objects, resulting in greater likelihood of trauma and injuries . Dento‐alveolar injuries such as tooth avulsion, fracture, subluxation, and intrusion demonstrate a significant prevalence in recent studies . It is recommended that contact sports athletes (from football, volleyball, basketball, handball, hockey, rugby, martial arts, and others) use safety devices, such as mouthguards, to minimize impacts …”

Athletic Trainer Services in the Secondary School Setting: The Athletic Training Locations and Services Project

“…2 As such, ATs play a critical role in the promotion of safe physical activity and return to participation after injury. Furthermore, the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) position statements and bestpractice documents require ATs to be educated on, and assist in, preventing or otherwise managing orthopaedic injuries, [3][4][5] concussions, 6 eating disorders, 7 heat illnesses, 8 lightning injuries, 9 cardiac-related deaths, 10 diabetic episodes, 11 exertional sickling episodes, 12 early-onset osteoarthritis, 13 substance abuse, 14 disease transmission, 15 weight management, 16 and dental and oral injuries 17 in their scope of practice using evidence-based techniques. These prevention mechanisms are common practice for ATs and well within their scope of practice; however, many secondary schools that do not provide on-site AT services are left to implement these measures through other means.…”