Prevalence and Risk Indicators of Orofacial Trauma and Mouthguard Awareness Among Youth Water Polo Players

Background: Sports-related orofacial injuries are common among young athletes, and water polo carries a moderate risk for dental trauma. However, awareness of emergency management and mouthguard use remains limited. Objectives: This study evaluated the prevalence of dental and orofacial trauma, avulsion management awareness, and attitudes toward mouthguard use among junior male water polo players in Istanbul. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 80 male athletes (8–18 years) from three youth water polo clubs in Istanbul using a structured 19-item questionnaire. The survey evaluated trauma history, avulsion management awareness, and mouthguard use. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests (p<0.05). Results: Eighty athletes were included (response rate: 94.1%). The most common orofacial injury was bruising (81.3%), followed by lip/tongue injuries (48.8%), with no reported avulsion cases. Dental trauma occurred more frequently during training (45%) than matches (13.8%) and contact with other players (52.5%) was the leading cause. Injury type was significantly associated with age group (p=0.0056) and weekly training time (p=0.00795), but not with years of experience (p=0.352). Awareness of avulsion management was low, and although 67.5% were aware of mouthguards, none reported using one. Conclusions: Junior water polo players in Istanbul demonstrated limited awareness of dental trauma management and no reported use of mouthguards. Greater exposure time was associated with trauma risk, while the absence of mouthguard use despite existing awareness indicates a substantial preventive gap.