Mouthguards in the American Hockey League [AHL].
OBJECTIVE
To examine the orofacial injuries and attitudes toward mouthguards reported by professional ice hockey players of the American Hockey League [AHL].


METHODS
A survey was created and sent to the certified athletic trainers [ATC] of 23 AHL teams. A total of 25 questions were posed regarding age, position, orofacial injury, frequency of prophylaxis by a dental hygienist and methods to clean a mouthguard. The influence and responsibility of professional athletes as role models was also explored.


RESULTS
A total of 344 surveys of the original 394 surveys [87.3%] were returned. Three hundred twenty-four [82.2%] were acceptable for analysis. All respondents were male, with 74% between the ages of 19 and 25. Almost all players [93.8%] had been advised to wear a mouthguard, with a parent / family member first to advise on their use. Approximately 67.3% of players reported wearing a mouthguard in some capacity. Of those who did not, 31% stopped wearing a mouthguard upon arrival into the AHL. Dental injuries were numerous, occurring within 63.3% of ice hockey players. The most frequently reported injury was chipped teeth. As professional athletes, 88.6% consider themselves role models.


CONCLUSIONS
It is recommended that mouthguards be mandated within the professional arena as the prevalence of orofacial injuries remains a concern within ice hockey. Emphasis should be placed on educating health professionals of all disciplines who interact with athletes, as well as utilizing the promotional power of professional athletes.
Neussl
Amy
A
University of Bridgeport, Fones School of Dental Hygiene, USA. aneussl@hotmail.com
D001294:Attitude to Health; D002170:Canada; D003777:Dental Prophylaxis / Q000523:psychology; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D006688:Hockey / Q000293:injuries / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009055:Mouth / Q000293:injuries; D009064:Mouth Protectors; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D024382:Professional Role / Q000523:psychology; D019876:Sports Equipment; D018677:Tooth Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult