Chin J Dent Res 2024;27(1):13–15;
doi:10.3290/j.cjdr.b5139351
Wearing Sports Mouthguards to Prevent Oral and Maxillofacial Trauma
Chinese Stomatological Association
The theme of the academic annual conferences held by the Chinese Stomatological Association from 2021 to 2023 was “Protecting Natural Teeth to Maintain Oral Health” and coincided with the 24th Winter Olympic Games that took place in Beijing in 2022, and thus prevention of oral and maxillofacial trauma once again attracted the attention of stomatological experts and the public. The incidence of oral and maxillofacial trauma caused by sports is around 25% to 34%1-5, and varies based on the type of sport and other factors, such as age, sex and the skill level of the participants. The risk of oral and maxillofacial trauma is extremely high in high-confrontation and high-speed sports, especially for children and adolescents. Wearing sports mouthguards when participating in sport is an effective way to prevent and reduce the incidence of oral and maxillofacial trauma in such sports, and is the simplest and most practical method of doing so. Sports have developed and gained in popularity significantly in China in recent years, but the awareness and use of sports mouthguards are low. Based on the above background, the Chinese Stomatological Association advocates that athletes and sport participants should wear mouthguards in various confrontational and high-speed sports, and calls on dental practitioners and sports-related organisations to actively support the popularisation and application of sports mouthguards to prevent or alleviate oral and maxillofacial trauma and to raise awareness and increase knowledge of methods to protect natural teeth.
Chin J Dent Res 2024;27(1):11–12;
doi:10.3290/j.cjdr.b5139365
Preserving Natural Teeth to Maintain Oral Health
Chinese Stomatological Association
Oral health is an important component of general health, and oral disease is one of the most common human diseases that not only affects oral health and quality of life, but is also closely associated with overall health. Natural teeth are important functional organs and are crucial to oral functions and maintaining a healthy life. The Chinese Stomatological Association (CSA) has released this position statement on “Preserving Natural Teeth to Maintain Oral Health”, which is one of the most important achievements of the 2021 to 2023 CSA Annual Congress themed “Healthy Mouth, Protecting Natural Teeth”, advocating that everyone should take effective measures to protect their natural teeth, maintain oral health and promote general health.