Dental injuries, temporomandibular disorders, and caries in wrestlers

The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of dental injuries, temporomandibular disorders (TMD), and dental caries in a group of champion wrestlers. Twenty-six male wrestlers, with a mean age of 23 yr, and an age-matched control group participated in the study. A questionnaire was used with questions on trauma, frequency of headache, intensity of practicing sports, use of sugar-containing "sports drinks", use of mouth guards, and previous TMD problems. Four bitewing radiographs were taken in all subjects. In addition, three intraoral apical radiographs of maxillary and mandibular frontal regions were taken in the wrestlers. The number of existing teeth, dental caries, amount and type of restorations, and dental injuries were recorded. Examination of the stomatognathic system comprised bilateral palpation of the masseter and temporal muscles and temporomandibular joints, and evaluation of the mandibular movements. None of the subjects had drunk sports drinks or worn mouth protectors regularly. The wrestlers had more frequent and severe dental injuries localized to the frontal region of the maxilla than the controls. No statistical differences were found in the prevalence of caries or TMD between the groups.