Agarwal Abhilasha, Saleem Sumaiyya, Khanna Richa, Singh Rajeev Kumar, Doley Sulekha, Neerugattu Narasimha
Department of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Sciences, King George Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Department of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Sathyabama Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent. 2025 Apr 1;43(2):163-172. doi: 10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_55_25. Epub 2025 Jun 30.
Does the use of mouthguards (MGs) effectively prevent dentofacial injuries in athletes? Research Protocol: An umbrella review of systematic reviews (SRs) with or without meta-analyses was conducted. The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Overviews of Reviews guidelines, and the AMSTAR 2 tool was used for methodological quality assessment. A comprehensive search was conducted across MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and gray literature sources. Hand searches of references from key journals and SRs were also performed. Studies focusing on nonorofacial trauma, protective equipment other than MGs, and non-English publications were excluded. Two independent reviewers extracted data on study demographics, participant characteristics, intervention details, and reported outcomes. Discrepancies were resolved through discussion. The Corrected Covered Area Index was used to assess the overlap among SRs. The AMSTAR 2 tool was applied to evaluate the methodological quality of the included reviews, focusing on factors such as risk of bias, data synthesis methods, and transparency of reporting. Out of 466 records, nine SRs met the inclusion criteria. MGs significantly reduced dentofacial injuries, particularly avulsions and fractures, with custom-made MGs offering superior protection and comfort. The impact of MGs on athletic performance showed mixed results, with some evidence suggesting improved occlusion and neuromuscular alignment. However, methodological variability and low-quality evidence in several reviews limited the strength of these findings. MGs, especially custom-made designs, are effective in orofacial injury prevention and may have potential performance benefits. The study recommends mandatory MG use policies and athlete education to enhance compliance and safety. Further high-quality research is needed to optimize MG design and address existing evidence gaps.
使用口腔防护器（MGs）能否有效预防运动员的牙颌面损伤？研究方案：对有无荟萃分析的系统评价（SRs）进行了一项伞状综述。该研究遵循了综述概述的首选报告项目指南，并使用AMSTAR 2工具进行方法学质量评估。在MEDLINE、EMBASE、CINAHL、Scopus、Web of Science、Cochrane图书馆和灰色文献来源中进行了全面检索。还对手检关键期刊和SRs的参考文献进行了检索。排除了关注非口腔颌面创伤、MGs以外的防护设备以及非英文出版物的研究。两名独立评审员提取了关于研究人口统计学、参与者特征、干预细节和报告结果的数据。通过讨论解决差异。使用校正覆盖面积指数评估SRs之间的重叠情况。应用AMSTAR 2工具评估纳入综述的方法学质量，重点关注偏倚风险、数据合成方法和报告透明度等因素。在466条记录中，有9项SRs符合纳入标准。MGs显著减少了牙颌面损伤，尤其是撕脱伤和骨折，定制的MGs提供了更好的保护和舒适度。MGs对运动表现的影响结果不一，有一些证据表明咬合和神经肌肉排列得到改善。然而，几项综述中的方法学变异性和低质量证据限制了这些发现的力度。MGs尤其定制设计，在预防口腔颌面损伤方面有效，可能具有潜在的运动表现益处。该研究建议制定强制性的MG使用政策并对运动员进行教育，以提高依从性和安全性。需要进一步开展高质量研究，以优化MG设计并填补现有证据空白。
