Dental Trauma Among Hockey Players: Preventive Measures, Compliance and Injury Types.

AIM: To evaluate level of compliance and reasons for non-compliance with measures to prevent dental injuries among ice hockey players. METHODS: Ice hockey players participated in an online, standardized, cross-sectional survey that addressed demographics, use and reasons for lack of use of facial and oral protective equipment and past oral injuries. RESULTS: Of the 169 survey respondents, 45.6% never wore a mouthguard, 23.1% always, 14.8% sometimes and 16.5% only when enforced. Major reasons for not wearing mouthguards included discomfort, impairment of function or seeming unnecessary. Over 57.4% of participants wore a full-face shield, 35.5% a half-face visor and 7.1% no facial equipment. Participants did not wear a full-face shield mostly because it hinders visibility. Past oral injury was reported by 31.4% of participants. The most common type of injury was laceration (61.5%), followed by contusions, broken and lost teeth. Of the injured, 57.7% were hit by a stick, 46.2% by a puck and 25% were checked by an opponent. CONCLUSION: Compliance with wearing mouthguards and full-face shields is low because of issues surrounding player comfort, function and lack of visibility. Efforts should be made to work with hockey players and relevant industry to improve product design for protective measures and to enforce their use. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Reasons behind lack of protective equipment use by hockey players should be understood to enable dental professionals to communicate with patients and resolve challenges to the use of preventative measures to increase compliance and decrease incidence and severity of traumatic oral injuries.

Emergency department visits for dental problems associated with trauma in Alberta: A report between the years 2011 and 2017.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Dental trauma represents a significant cause for concern in emergency department (ED). The aim of this study was to report on the prevalence of ED visits for dental problems associated with trauma (DPAT) in Alberta, Canada. The specific objectives were to provide up-to-date information regarding ED utilization for dental trauma concerning the demographics of users and distribution of ED visits across the Province of Alberta, allowing for an assessment of possible trends over the period of time observed. METHODS: Data for ED visits in Alberta between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2017, were extracted from the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS). Data elements pertinent to this analysis include patient demographics, administrative information, and diagnosis. Only the main or primary diagnosis of each ED visit was included in this analysis using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD-10-CA). RESULTS: There were 71 118 total ED visits for DPAT in this time period, with an average of 10 159 visits per year across Alberta. Children aged 1-4 years old represented the age-group in both genders with the largest number of ED visits, 22.1% of the total number of visits. The number of ED visits for DPAT by males 21 years or younger (22 384) was higher than the total number of ED visits among females in all age-groups (21 099). The ICD-10-CA code S01.5 referring to open wound of lip and oral cavity was by far the most prevalent diagnosis, representing 57.6% of the total visits during the period investigated. CONCLUSIONS: This population-based report quantifies the rates and frequency of ED utilization for DPAT in the province of Alberta, Canada. The information gathered is important to support injury prevention initiatives using a population-based approach targeting the high-risk groups of the population identified by this study.

Oral injuries related to Ice Hockey in the province of Alberta, Canada: Trends over the last 15 years.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Ice hockey players of all ages experience oral and dental injuries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rates of ice hockey-related oral injuries, time lost due to oral injury, and mechanisms of oral injuries in the province of Alberta during a 15-year period (2001-2016). METHODS: Hockey Alberta, the governing body for minor ice hockey associations across the province, collects injury report forms from injured participants in sanctioned events. Fifteen years (2001-2016) of this database was examined for total respondents suffering oral injuries. Data on total injuries, estimated time lost, and injury mechanism were analyzed. RESULTS: Overall, 12 433 ice hockey-related injuries were recorded. The oral region was the third most common body part (16% of total injuries) to be injured after the arms and legs. Oral injuries have been occurring at a relatively constant rate each year from 2001 to 2016, with a maximum of 174 and minimum of 99 reported. Oral injuries usually result in a short absence from the sport of 1 week or less and tend to occur through being struck by a stick or the hockey puck. This differs from total injuries, which tend to occur through collisions with the boards or other players. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of oral injuries in Alberta due to ice hockey comprise a significant portion of the injuries that players sustain. Oral injuries occur mostly when a player is struck with a puck or stick, and the rest of the body is injured primarily through collisions. Dental practitioners can help ice hockey athletes prevent oral and dental injuries through encouraging the use of mouthguards (custom over boil and bite) and continuing to wear full-face protection.