The importance of using mouthguards in preventing dental trauma in children who play sports – A literature review.

Abstract

Dental trauma in children has proven to be a public health problem with significant growth, as advances in information technology have led to greater awareness among parents about tooth decay and its harmful effects on oral health, resulting in a lower prevalence of tooth decay and an increase in the rates of dental trauma. In this context, the use of mouthguards becomes an essential protective factor for the prevention and reduction of dental trauma. However, according to studies, the knowledge and importance given by parents and physical educators to mouthguards is still deficient, and their use should be widely recommended and encouraged in children's daily lives. The objective of this study is to discuss and compare research on dental trauma in children and show the importance of mouthguards in preventing these events. The methodology of this study included articles published within the last 10 years, written in English, Portuguese, or Spanish, that concisely addressed the proposed topic and were published in the following databases: PUBMED, Scielo, and Bireme. The exclusion criteria included duplicate articles, incomplete articles, and articles published more than 10 years prior to 2025. Therefore, dental trauma in children who play sports and the use of mouthguards among them is an important topic for current studies, given that its prevalence is growing every year and will only decrease if there is greater awareness of the issue.