Dental injuries in mountain biking : a survey in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Italy

Mountain biking is considered an extreme sport, causing not only head and neck injuries, but also injuries to every part of the body. Using standardised interview, the aim of this work was to survey the frequency of dental injuries in mountain biking, as well as the behaviour of athletes after experiencing dental trauma, depending on their intensity level. Furthermore, habits of wearing helmets and mouthguards as well as knowledge about the tooth rescue kit were investigated. A total of 423 male mountain bikers from Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland were surveyed for this study, including 50 juniors from Switzerland. 27 athletes (5.7%) had endured tooth accidents in mountain biking. Only 246 (52%) were aware of the fact that avulsed teeth can be replanted, and only 30 individuals knew about the tooth rescue kit (6.3%). 71.9% (n=340) were familiar with mouthguards; however, only 21 individuals (4.4%) used mouthguards while mountain biking. The results show that where mountain biking is concerned, more information about prevention is required.