@article{ref1,
title="Use of mouthguards by basketball players in Victoria, Australia",
journal="Dental traumatology",
year="2003",
author="Cornwell, Helen and Messer, Louise Brearley and Speed, Harriet",
volume="19",
number="4",
pages="193-203",
abstract="Basketball is a popular sport in Australia.  Although orofacial injuries are common, mouthguard (MG) wear in basketball  appears to be low. The purposes of this study were: to measure mouthguard wear  by basketball players before and after a promotional intervention; to assess  players' knowledge of the value of mouthguards for prevention of injury;  and to describe their experience of orofacial injury. Two questionnaires  (baseline and follow-up) were administered to a convenience sample of 496  basketball players in Victoria, Australia. Players recruited were youths  (12-15-year olds, n = 208) and adults (18 years and over, n = 288), from all  basketball levels (social to elite). Completion of the baseline questionnaire  was followed immediately by an intervention comprising written and verbal  information, a mouthguard blank and instructions on mouthguard construction. The  follow-up questionnaire was mailed to all respondents 10-12 weeks later; 135  youths (65%) and 157 adults (54%) completed this. Mouthguard wear at baseline  was low but was more frequent at games (62%) than at training (25%). Despite 90%  of players acknowledging the protective value of a mouthguard, wear by youths  did not increase following the intervention, and wear by adults increased by  only 14% for training and 10% at games. Previous orofacial injury was recorded  at baseline by 23% of players, but few had requested compensation from  Basketball Australia (youths, 17%; adults, 30%). Two predictor variables were  statistically identified as related to mouthguard wear: previous orofacial  injury and age group. Mouthguard wear was significantly more frequent amongst  players with previous injury; such players were 2.76 times more likely to be  wearers than those without previous injury. Youths were 2.31 times more likely  to wear mouthguards than adults. Only 34 players (12% of respondents at  follow-up) had a mouthguard constructed from the blank provided. Although youth  and adult groups differed, the overall extent of mouthguard use was  disappointingly low. Despite wide recognition of mouthguard value, the  intervention had little effect on promoting their use.",
language="",
issn="1600-4469",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}