[Orodental injury and mouthguard usage in field hockey]

Field hockey is associated with an increased risk of orofacial and/or dental injury. One in five hockey players reports having suffered from such an injury. Despite the requirement to wear a mouthguard while playing field hockey, introduced in the Netherlands in 2015, the effect of this measure appears to be limited. Field hockey coaches ability to provide dental first aid in case of injury also wants improvement and additional training in the future. Lab studies show that mouthguards can break when subjected to forces lower than those occurring during field hockey. Saliva proteins are adsorbed by mouthguards, which may affect bacterial adhesion and can contribute to the development of oral health problems. Research on improving mouthguards and on the proper way to clean them therefore also seems necessary.