Prevalence and severity of traumatic dental injuries among young amateur soccer players: A screening investigation

Abstract

Background/Aims Traumatic dental injuries (TDI) are prevalent among soccer players. In Kuwait, no studies of TDI among soccer players have been carried out. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, type and causes of soccer‐related traumatic dental injuries among 7‐18‐year‐old amateur soccer players. Methods All amateur soccer players who were registered in the 14 sports clubs in the country were invited to participate in this screening study. Players who were present in the club on the assigned examination day were included. The players were examined by two trained and calibrated paediatric dentists for signs of injury to the oral tissues. Injury diagnosis was made according to the Andreasen (2007) epidemiological dental injury classification. The history of any dental injury present at the time of examination was recorded. The timing and nature of any dental advice or treatment sought was also noted. Results Six hundred sixty‐seven (48% inclusion rate) male players were included (mean age of 13.4 ± 2.6 years). In total, 213 injured teeth were observed among 169 (25%) players. The prevalence of soccer‐related injuries was 11%, and a greater number of injuries were observed in older players. Maxillary central incisors were the most frequently injured teeth (91%), and enamel‐only fractures represented 60% of all injured teeth. Slightly more TDIs were soccer‐related (44%) compared to non‐soccer‐related injuries (39%), and a large number of TDIs (39%) occurred inside the sports clubs. The prevalence of reported soft‐tissue injuries was 18%. The majority of the players (75%) did not receive dental care for their injuries. Conclusions A significant number of young Kuwaiti amateur soccer players suffered TDIs. In addition, a high percentage of traumatic injuries were not treated, and there was a lack of the use of protective mouthguards.

Prevalence of orofacial trauma in soccer players of a Brazilian club

“…When analyzing the types of trauma that occurred more frequently, we identified that lips soft-tissue lacerations and dental fractures are the most reported (54.9% and 20.3%, respectively). These data are also consistent with other studies investigating the prevalence of orofacial lesions in soccer athletes (20). Usually, football is not considered a violent sport, but there is a clear risk of problems related to oral injuries.…”

Ten-year follow-up after immediate management of multiple sports‐related dental injuries: a case report

“…Sports practice is commonly described as one of the main etiological factors of traumatic injuries in children and adolescents. 4,5 In this case report, the patient reported suffering dental trauma during a basketball game in her school while not wearing a mouthguard. According to a previous epidemiological study, 4 basketball is among the sports with the highest prevalence of dental trauma (70.6%), only after combat sports such as wrestling (83.3%) and boxing (73.7%).…”

“…2,3 As the practice of sports increases worldwide, it has become a progressively more prevalent etiology of dental trauma. [4][5][6] According to a previous study, 4 the prevalence of TDIs among athletes participating in the Pan American Games was 49.6%, of which 63.6% occurred during sports practice.…”

Investigating the effect of mouth guard use on aerobic performance in amateur boxers

“…A meta-analysis of 14 studies has shown that non-mouth guard use is associated with a 1.6-1.9 increased risk of OMF trauma across all sports (Knapik et al, 2007). Further robust epidemiological studies will be required to work out the exact incidence of OMF trauma in boxing but given the nature of the sport it is expected to be at least as common as other combat sports (Aljohani et al, 2017;Andrade et al, 2010;Chatrchaiwiwatana, 2016;Qudeimat et al, 2019).…”

“…Further single sports studies have shown that the incidence of at least one OFT during a sports career to be: 23% (Taekwondo), 11% (Soccer), 23.5% (Muay Thai), 100% (triathlon) and 73.6% (Boxing; Aljohani et al, 2017;Andrade et al, 2010;Chatrchaiwiwatana, 2016;Qudeimat et al, 2019). These studies based on self-reported injuries show that OFT injuries are a common occurrence in sports; the immediate consequences of which may require a player to be withdrawn from competition, lose time from training or be left with long term cosmetic consequences.…”