Experience of Orofacial Injuries and Use of Mouthguards - A Survey in German Elite Sport.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the experience of orofacial injuries and sports mouthguard use in German elite athletes.

Design: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted.

Setting: The data were collected at the Institute of Applied Training Science (IAT, Leipzig, Germany) that provides regular primary care for elite athletes.

Participants: German elite athletes (18-35 years) from different disciplines with completed questionnaire on oral health in sports between May 2020 and April 2021 were included.

Interventions: N/A.

Main Outcome Measures: Number of dental, oral, and facial injuries during sports career and mouthguard use (received information, ownership, frequency) were assessed and compared between disciplines with different risks for orofacial trauma.

Results: In total, questionnaires of 337 athletes (23 ± 4 years, 50% female) were included. Disciplines were classified into high (HT, n = 20), medium (MT, n = 48), and low (LT, n = 269) risk for orofacial trauma. Substantial rates of injuries were identified; especially a lot of HT athletes reported orofacial injuries (HT: 55%, MT: 31%, LT: 17%; P ≤ 0.076) and dental injuries (HT: 30%, MT: 10%, LT: 7%; P ≤ 0.028). Mouthguards were rare (HT: 25%, MT: 0%, LT: 3%).

Conclusions: There is a need for more prevention of orofacial injuries in German elite sports for both HT and MT.