title: Patterns of mouthguard utilization among atom and pee wee minor ice hockey players: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if youth hockey players wear their mouthguards properly, and if not, why?
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tecumseh Shoreline Minor Hockey Association, Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada, during the 2007-2008 season.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 180 travel hockey players of the Tecumseh Shoreline Minor Hockey Association at the Atom or Pee Wee level (aged 9-12 y) or their competitors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Players were asked to complete a survey addressing mouthguard wear under their coach's supervision.
  
  
  METHODS
  The type of mouthguard, whether mouthguards were worn at all and worn properly, and the reasons for noncompliance. The incidence of concussion and association to mouthguard-wearing tendencies were also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-eight percent [95% confidence interval (CI), 60.4%-74.5%] of subjects always wore their mouthguards, but only 31.7% (95% CI, 25.0%-39.0%) wore them properly during games and 51.1% (95% CI, 43.6%-58.6%) during practice. Custom-made mouthguards were most likely to be worn properly, followed by boil-and-bite and stock-type guards. Younger players wore mouthguards more consistently than older players (P < 0.01). Reasons for not wearing the guard included the following: 43.0% (95% CI, 35.4%-50.4%) of subjects felt it made talking difficult, 27.4% (95% CI, 20.9%-34.3%) felt it uncomfortable, 23.9% (95% CI, 17.9%-30.8%) felt it made breathing difficult, and 12.4% (95% CI, 8.3%-17.9%) thought it did not fit correctly. The incidence of concussion was 17.8%, but the study was underpowered for any association with mouthguard type.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even when mouthguards are mandated to be worn in a children's travel hockey league, young players self-report that they routinely fail to wear them properly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.
authors.forename: Farhang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Raaii
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vaidya
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vaidya
authors.forename: Nunziatina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dibacco
authors.forename: Clifford
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Les
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sethi
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vaidya
mesh_terms: D056352:Athletes; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006688:Hockey / Q000293:injuries*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009064:Mouth Protectors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects