Traumatic Dental Injuries Among Individuals with Disabilities and Chronic Diseases Practicing Sports

TL;DR

This study finds that athletes with disabilities and chronic diseases are more likely to suffer traumatic dental injuries than non-athletes, but mouthguard use and treatment are rare.

Contribution

The study provides new data on traumatic dental injuries in athletes with disabilities and highlights the lack of preventive measures in this population.

Findings

14% of athletes with disabilities had traumatic dental injuries, compared to 5% in the control group.

Only one athlete used a mouthguard, and restorative treatment was performed in 37% of injured athletes.

The study emphasizes the need for preventive programs and better dental care for athletes with disabilities.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Participation in sports activities is one of the risk factors for traumatic dental injuries. Nevertheless, little data are available in the literature on such problems in persons with disabilities. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and severity of traumatic dental injuries in athletes with intellectual disabilities and other coexisting chronic diseases, as well as the use of mouthguards and the level of treatment of injuries in this population. Methods: The research was carried out in seven special needs schools. Two calibrated dentists performed dental examinations in 100 subjects practicing sports, aged 8–30 years (study group), and in 128 individuals, aged 8–25 years, who do not perform systematic physical activity (control group). Statistica Software v.10 was used for statistical analysis, with the level of statistical significance at p ≤ 0.05. Results: The majority of individuals had one tooth affected by traumatic injury in the study and control individuals, with the results amounting to 14% and 5%, respectively; the difference between both groups was statistically significant (p = 0.02). Only one athlete used a mouthguard during training and competitions. Restorative treatment of traumatically damaged teeth was performed in six athletes (37%) out of the total sixteen subjects affected by dental injuries from the study group and in two (15%) out of thirteen participants from the controls. Conclusions: This study reveals that dentists should be professionally prepared to meet the special needs of the population with disabilities and chronic disorders to minimize the burden of dental trauma. There is an urgent need for preventive programs for special needs athletes, their parents/caregivers, and trainers concerning the use of mouthguards.

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