Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026
Impact Mitigation in Modern Football Helmets: Advances and Limitations of Position-Specific Designs
Published on: January 13, 2026
The incidence and severity of dental trauma in intercollegiate athletes
Nestor Cohenca1, Rafael A Roges, Ramon Roges
1Department of Endodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Washington, P.O. Box 357448, Seattle, Wash. 98195-7448, USA. cohenca@u.washington.edu
Background:
The use of protective devices such as mouthguards during participation in contact sports may be effective in reducing the incidence or severity of dental injuries.
Methods:
Dental injuries reported to the athletic department at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, were recorded from 1996 through 2005. The authors classified each injury and determined the severity of the injury. Severity was defined in relation to the treatment required and the prognosis of the teeth and supporting tissues involved.
Results:
Fifty-one traumatic dental injuries were reported. Basketball was the sport with the highest injury rate; it had an incidence rate (IR) of 10.6 injuries per 100 athlete-seasons among men, and an IR of 5.0 injuries per 100 athlete-seasons among women. The IR for men's basketball players was five times higher than that for football players for whom mouthguard use is mandatory.
Conclusions:
Given the relatively high incidence of dental injury in basketball and the potential of mouthguard use to reduce the incidence and severity of the trauma, mandatory use of mouthguards among collegiate basketball players should be considered.
Clinical Implications:
Dental professionals have a responsibility to educate patients and the public about the importance of using mouth-guard protection in contact sports.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
01:21Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.