Clinical Update
The clinical update online is a free member service providing up to 11 FREE CPD hours per year.
Each month, the clinical update is published online and in the Victorian Dentist. There are 11 clinical updates per year, corresponding with the distribution of the Victorian Dentist from February to December. This service is available to ADAVB and ADATas members only. Members can log in to view and answer the clinical update questions. If you answer at least eight out of 10 questions correctly, you will receive one hour of scientific CPD.
Please note: Each new clinical update will be available from the first business day of each month.
Effectiveness of mouthguards for the prevention of orofacial injuries and concussions in sports: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Knapik JJ, Hoedebecke BL, Rogers GG, Sharp MA, Marshall SW. Sports Medicine (2019) 49:1217–1232 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01121-w
Compiled by Dr Sarah Chin
Introduction
A mouthguard is a resilient appliance designed to separate the upper and lower dentition and part of the dentition from the soft tissue. There are different types:
- Stock mouthguards, which are sold over the counter and not shaped to the dentition
- Thermoplastic boil and bite mouthguards
- Dental laboratory custom-made mouthguards, which are fit checked by a dentist.
Mouthguards act to separate the teeth and are thought to reduce the likelihood of orofacial injuries and concussion by redistributing the forces of an impact (that may cause fracture or dislocation of the teeth) over a larger area. Mouthguards may help reduce laceration of the soft tissue by separating the teeth from the soft tissue, and may also help reduce the likelihood of concussion by positioning the lower jaw to absorb impact forces that may be transmitted through the base of the skull and to the brain.
The incidence of oral and craniofacial injury accounts for up to one-third of sports-related injuries in the USA. Retrospective surveys of athletes have found that 10–70 per cent of athletes report having one or more orofacial injuries while participating in sport. Concussion made up 6.2 per cent of medically treated injuries at a collegiate sports level, with the highest rates in men’s wrestling, men’s ice hockey, women’s ice hockey, men’s American football, women’s soccer and women’s basketball.
Members click here to continue reading and complete the March Clinical Update questions.