PREVALENCE OF OROFACIAL INJURIES AND USE OF MOUTHGUARDS IN HIGH-SCHOOL RUGBY-UNION

In Australia there is a tradition of early involvement of children in contact sports. Mouthguards are known to reduce the risk of dental and associated injuries - however, Australian studies of the use of mouth guards in contact sports and the prevalence of dental acid associated injuries have only focused on adult participants. Previous studies of high school Rugby Union players in New Zealand have shown that between 13 and 15 per cent had previously sustained dental injury while betwe en 30 and 37 per cent wore mouthguards regularly. One hundred and thir ty Rugby Union football players attending a large high school in Brisb ane participated in this survey. All believed in the safety value of m outhguards in football. All of the players in the four open teams and the majority of players in the four under-age teams wore mouthguards, and the incidence of dental injury was very low, approximately 4 per c ent. These and other results will be presented and compared with previ ous similar studies.