Cross-sectional study assesses prevalence of dental injuries and mouthguard awareness in youth basketball players, indicating urgent need for education.
Sports-related traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) are common among young athletes, particularly in contact sports like basketball. Although most TDIs are preventable with mouthguard use and prompt first aid, awareness levels remain low. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of TDIs, knowledge of emergency management, and mouthguard awareness among youth basketball players in Turkey. This cross-sectional study included 125 youth basketball players from 25 randomly selected teams in the 2024-2025 season. Participants completed a 12-item online questionnaire covering demographics, TDI history, emergency management knowledge, and mouthguard use. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used for data analysis. Among the participants, 16.8% reported experiencing a dental injury while playing basketball, with tooth fractures being the most common type (57.1%). Only 29.6% were aware that timely replantation of an avulsed tooth improves prognosis. Mouthguard usage was notably low, with only 7.2% reporting any use. The most frequently cited reason for not using a mouthguard was the perception that it was unnecessary (41.1%). Experience with dental trauma and knowledge of emergency management were significantly associated with years of basketball participation (p < 0.05), whereas no demographic factors were significantly related to mouthguard use. Youth basketball players in Turkey show limited awareness of TDI management and low mouthguard usage. Educational programs for athletes, coaches, and parents are important to raise awareness, encourage prevention, and improve emergency response, especially among young athletes.
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Cömert et al. (2025) studied this question.
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