Mouthguard use and attitudes regarding dental trauma among elite cross‐country mountain biking and field hockey athletes

Background/Aims Cross‐country mountain biking and field hockey are two Olympic sports that pose a potential risk for dentofacial trauma. However, mouthguard use is not mandatory in either of these sports and knowledge about tooth rescue among athletes is often neglected. The aim of this cross‐sectional epidemiological survey was to evaluate the prevalence of sports‐related dentofacial injuries, mouthguard use, and attitudes regarding tooth rescue among cross‐country mountain biking and field hockey athletes participating at pre‐Olympic competitions held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Materials and Methods A convenience sample of 217 athletes from 33 countries participating in cross‐country mountain biking (n = 82; mean age = 30.96 ± 8.52 years) and field hockey (n = 135; mean age = 19.72 ± 2.46 years) pre‐Olympic competitions were examined clinically, and they answered a questionnaire regarding previous history of sports‐related dentofacial injuries, attitudes toward mouthguard use, and tooth rescue. Results There were 120 (55.30%) males and 97 (44.70%) females who participated in the study. The prevalence of facial trauma was higher in mountain biking (54.88%) than in field hockey (26.66%, P