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Aim: Showjumping is one of the sporting activities with a high injury risk. Unpredictable behaviour of the horse, considerable speed and the height of the rider in the saddle make this sport to one of the most dangerous, with the highest risk of injury and the highest mortality rate per competitor. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of dental trauma, the wearing of protective gear such as helmet, back protector and mouthguard as well as the knowledge of primary care after dental trauma., Material and Methods: Within the framework of this study, 608 female and male showjumpers from Switzerland, France and Germany were questioned in a personal interview consisting of 14 questions about general injuries, dental injuries and the usage of protective gear. The competitors were subdivided into different categories according to amateur or professional level, gender and age., Results: Of the 608 competitors, 189 (31.1%) had witnessed an accident involving tooth injury and 91 (15.0%) had suffered one themselves. The prevalence of dental trauma rose with increasing age and more riding experience. A total of 436 (71.1%) of the competitors were familiar with mouthguards, of which only three owned one. The main reasons for not wearing a mouthguard were both doubtful necessity (22.5%) and a generally low acceptance among the riders (26.3%). Less than half of the competitors (44.4%) knew that an avulsed tooth can be replanted and only 4.1% had knowledge about the existence of a tooth rescue box., Conclusion: The results of this study show that in equestrian sports still little is known about dental trauma and protective measures., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aim: The study deals with fighting-related dental injuries sustained by hooligans and the influence of wearing a mouthguard on fighting-related dental trauma., Material and Methods: From 2012 to 2013, standardized multiple-choice questionnaires were distributed via contacts in the hooligan scene in Switzerland. The survey was conducted with the guarantee of complete anonymity and investigated injury patterns in hooligans from different age groups, of different nationalities as well as educational and income levels., Results: Of the 95 hooligans surveyed, 82 had sustained a dental injury: 29 were minor and 53 were severe dental injuries. During violent confrontations, 37 of the 95 hooligans wore a mouthguard. The most commonly used mouthguards were custom-made (19/37) or boil-and-bite (10/37). The use of ready-made mouthguards without an individualized fit (6/37) was less frequent. Hooligans who wore a boil-and-bite or a custom-made mouthguard lost fewer teeth during fights than participants wearing a mouthguard without an individualized fit (P = 0.056)., Conclusion: The risk of trauma during violent confrontations between hooligans is very high, as expected. The injuries range from dental trauma to bruising, lacerations and even serious bone fractures of the face and the extremities. During violent clashes over a third of the hooligans wear a mouthguard that has usually been custom-made or at least individually fitted; this is a far higher frequency than for most contact sports., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: Skiing and snow-boarding are winter sports with risk of dental trauma. The aim of the present study was to investigate the use of protective gear and the occurrence of dental trauma in amateur winter sports on ski slopes., Materials and Methods: A total of 500 skiers and snowboarders (345 skiers, 110 snow-boarders, and 45 who rode both) were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire during one winter season (from January to April 2008). Sustained injuries and use of protective gear (including mouthguards) were assessed., Results: Of the 500 interviewed, eleven (9 m, 2 f; 2.2%) had sustained dental trauma while skiing or snowboarding. Frequent riders were most susceptible to dental trauma (p < 0.001). 165 (33%) have sustained a skiing or snow- boarding accident at least once, males more often than females (p = 0.031). Protective gear was used by 337 (67.4%), helmet, back and wrist protectors being worn most often. Snow-boarders were generally protected best (p < 0.001). All riders who had sustained an accident (n = 124; 75.1%) wore protective gear at the time of the interview (p = 0.009). Only two of eleven who had sustained dental trauma wear a mouthguard now for winter sports., Conclusion: The results show that skiing and snowboarding pose only a small risk for dental trauma.

Objectives:   Rugby players are at a high risk of sustaining dental injury because of the high number of tackles implicit to the game. This study aimed to determine the frequency of injuries sustained by players in the Swiss rugby league., Methods:   During the 2010/11 season, 517 rugby players from 19 clubs were questioned about dental trauma as well as the use of mouthguards and other forms of body protection. The level of awareness about tooth avulsion and replantation was also assessed. Participants included athletes from four different leagues; National (155), Premier (122), Women's (90) and Juniors (150)., Results:   Of the 517 players taking part in the survey, 54.4% had sustained at least one serious injury and 39.5% had sustained a facial injury. One hundred and thirty-nine athletes (37.3%) had observed another player sustain a dental injury during a game, whilst 35 (6.8%) had personally sustained one or more dental injuries. Dental injury rate was considerably higher amongst forwards than backs. Four hundred and fifty-six players (88.2%) wore a mouthguard of which three-quarters were tailor-made. Three hundred and thirteen players (60.5%) were aware that an avulsed tooth can be replanted; however, only 27 (5.2%) had heard of the tooth rescue boxes. These results demonstrate that, whilst general injuries occur with regularity in rugby, dental injuries are not amongst the most common forms. This is almost certainly attributable to the high level of mouthguard usage. Particularly for players in the junior league, in which the use of mouthguards was lowest, the risk of dental injury may be reduced by an increased level of education about tooth protection., Conclusions:   To this end, an increased awareness about and usage of tooth rescue boxes would be desirable. It would seem sensible to make the wearing of mouthguards compulsory in contact sports such as rugby., (© 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

Water polo is a sporting activity which has a medium risk of causing dental trauma. Owing to the high speed, close body contact, and the combination of throwing and swimming that is inherent to the sport, the general injury potential is high. Using a standardized questionnaire for a total of 415 water polo players from Switzerland, this study examines the frequency of dental and facial injuries in water polo, athletes' habits regarding the wearing of mouthguards, and the general level of knowledge about emergency procedures following dental trauma. The participating players came from 6 divisions: Swiss national leagues A and B, first and second leagues, as well as the women's, and junior's league. The data were evaluated according to division and gender. Of the 415 interviewees, 185 (44.6%) had witnessed a dental injury in water polo. Eighty-seven (21.0%) players reported having suffered a tooth injury when playing water polo. Tooth fracture was the most stated dental injury [86 (16.4%)]. A similar number of tooth injuries were experienced by both male [355 (21.1%)] and female [60 (20.0%)] players. The interviewees over the age of 50 showed a higher incidence of tooth injuries than younger players (>50 years = 41.7%). Slightly more than half of the interviewed players [228 (54.9%)] were aware of the possibility of replanting avulsed teeth. As few as 43 (10.4%) players were familiar with tooth rescue boxes. Only 32 (7.7%) water polo players wore a mouthguard; the most common reason for not wearing a mouthguard was that it was seen to be unnecessary [169 (40.7%)]. This survey highlights the potential for improvement in the level of knowledge about dental injury prevention in water polo. In addition to information and guidelines from the relevant sports' associations, and coaches, dentists could also play a role in the provision of this education., (© 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aims: Judo is a popular martial art with a high risk of injury. Notwithstanding this risk, mouthguards were not allowed until June 2018. The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of traumatic injuries in judo with a particular focus on dental and lip injuries. A further aim was to assess the influences of increased overjet and wearing fixed orthodontic appliances.Material and Methods: Judokas (n = 382) from two judo clubs in Bern, Switzerland, were interviewed with a standardized questionnaire.Results: About two thirds had suffered at least one traumatic injury with a high number of limb injuries (n = 1054), followed by face injuries (n = 855) and spine, torso, occiput or neck injuries (n = 84). Among the face injuries, 562 lip injuries were recorded. A significantly higher number of lip injuries were found for judokas who wore fixed orthodontic appliances compared to judokas who never wore such appliances. Forty-seven dental trauma incidents during judo were recorded. During both judo and leisure time, 161 dental trauma incidents were recorded. Individuals with lip incompetence and increased overjet showed the highest number of dental injuries ( x¯ = 0.815; SD = 0.622), which differed in statistically significant ways from the number of dental injuries in individuals with lip incompetence and normal or reduced overjet ( x¯ = 0.278; SD = 0.461). For individuals with no lip incompetence, no difference between the sub-group with an increased overjet and the sub-group with a normal or reduced overjet could be found. Nobody in the study population was wearing a mouthguard, and the acceptance of mouthguards was low (9.7%).Conclusion: It is important to increase the awareness of the recent authorization of mouthguards and to promote their acceptance among judokas. The combination of increased overjet and lip incompetence was more relevant for the dental trauma risk than an increased overjet alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]