532 BO52 – Do athletes and their sports medicine team know when to replace a mouthguard?

The use of mouthguards as protective devices has been shown to be effective in preventing dental trauma in sports (Knapik, J. J. et al. 2007). Boxing is one of only a few sports where a mouthguard is mandatory equipment (Ahmed, I. et al. 2021). This study looked at boxers competing at Birmingham Com...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of sports medicine 2024-03, Vol.58 (Suppl 2), p.A72-A73
Main Authors: Haughey, John, Fine, Peter
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Athletes
Brief Oral Abstracts
Sports medicine
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The use of mouthguards as protective devices has been shown to be effective in preventing dental trauma in sports (Knapik, J. J. et al. 2007). Boxing is one of only a few sports where a mouthguard is mandatory equipment (Ahmed, I. et al. 2021). This study looked at boxers competing at Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022. Male and female boxers of all weights were questioned about their mouthguards and an examination of the mouthguard was recorded.MethodsThe study was a mixed method study carried out by sports dentists at Birmingham 2022. Data was collected from athletes competing in the boxing event of Birmingham 2022. An anonymous questionnaire asked questions regarding demographics, age, gender, previous competition experience, previous dental trauma experience, dental history, information about their current mouthguard and their opinion on their current mouthguard.Observations were recorded after examining the boxers’ mouthguards.Results142 boxers took part. 67% had previous major competition experience. 5.6% had previous experience of dental trauma. 8.6% last dental visit was for toothache or an extraction. 16.9% felt that their mouthguard affected their breathing. 12.7% had previous experience of their mouthguard falling out during competition. 41.8% only replace their mouthguard if they lose or damage it. 53.5% used a custom fitted mouthguard. 30% had a mouthguard over a year old. 53.5% of mouthguards got a secure fit rating. 52.8% had no bite imprints for occlusion on the mouthguard.ConclusionThis study provides evidence towards the need for better understanding by athletes and their sport medicine support teams on when the athlete’s mouthguard needs replaced. From this study an Observational Mouthguard Rating Matrix, Table 1, was developed to help athlete’s and their sports medicine support team to identify when the athlete needs to replace their mouthguard.Abstract 532 Table 1Observational Mouthguard Rating Matrix
ISSN:0306-3674
1473-0480
DOI:10.1136/bjsports-2024-IOC.125