Oro-facial injuries and mouthguard use in elite female field hockey players.

The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of oro-facial injuries, frequency of mouthguard use and players' attitudes towards the use of mouthguards among elite English female field hockey players. All 140 players of the English Hockey Association female Premiere League were asked to complete a questionnaire. Main outcome measures were prevalence of oro-facial injuries, frequency of wearing of mouthguards and attitudes to mouthguard wearing. One hundred and ten completed questionnaires were returned (79% response rate). Facial injuries were common. Nineteen percent had sustained dental injury. Five percent of the respondents had at least one tooth avulsed. Eighty-eight percent of the players said that they owned a mouthguard. Mouthguards were worn regularly during matches by 69% but were used less frequently during training. Six percent thought that mouthguards were ineffective. Eighteen percent of the subjects refused to play if they did not have their mouthguard. Sixty-nine percent of the subjects felt that the mouthguards should be worn compulsorily at all times during the game. The following were finally concluded from the study: oro-facial injuries were commonly reported; 88% of the players possessed a mouthguard; and mouthguards were worn regularly during matches by 69% but were used less frequently during training.