Prevention of Dental Trauma in Contact Sports

Contact sports such as rugby, hockey, boxing, basketball or martial arts belong to the high-risk sports. A blow or kick from the rival most often causes injury to one tooth, while a fall or blow from a hard object often results in injuring more than one tooth. Dental damage following these injuries is usually irreversible and can cause functional, esthetic and psychological impairment. Mouthguards have a significant role in absorbing and dissipating very important part of the energy in the impact zone. Its main functions are reduction of the impact of direct and indirect contacts resulting in the orofacial injuries, soft tissue lacerations, temporomandibular joint damage, concussion, and mandible fractures. Over the recent years, there has been an increasing interest in studies related to the protective properties of mouthguards.