Oral Health, Mouthguard Use, and Knowledge of Prevention Sports Dentistry in Contact Sport Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Cohort Study

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to determine the extent of mouthguard use, the knowledge about oral health and dental traumatology, the self-reported oral health and oral health behaviors as well as the frequency of oral trauma in a population of contact sports athletes in the North West of Italy. Methods: The athletes of different contact sports clubs based in the Province of Novara, Italy were enrolled for this study. Athletes who agreed to participate in the study completed a questionnaire regarding demographic data, personal oral hygiene and care, the use of mouthguards, their past medical history, and their knowledge regarding dental traumatology. All the included athletes completed the OHIP-14 questionnaire too. Results: Fifty-five completed questionnaires were returned (15 females, 40 males). The mean age of the surveyed population was 25.54 years. The most represented contact sports in the study population were rugby and kick boxing. On the whole, 53 athletes out of 55 reported to use mouthguards. Most athletes (22 subjects, 40%) used the mouthguard 3 times a week. Most athletes used mouth-formed (boil and bite) mouthguards (40 subjects, 76%). Conclusions: The findings highlight the need to improve athlete education on the management of dental trauma. Given that the majority of interviewees are not adequately prepared to deal with these events, it is essential to implement specific educational programs that cover the different types of dental trauma and their immediate treatments.