Objectives:

To determine the prevalence of caries, dental erosion, orofacial trauma, and malocclusion in roller hockey athletes; to relate oral changes to the consumption of sports and energy drinks and the use of mouthguards by these athletes; to assess the coaches’ perception of the causes of orofacial trauma in athletes.

Methods:

Observational and cross-sectional study carried out in 105 individuals - 91 federated roller hockey athletes and 14 coaches, of the under-20 team and the first team of five sports clubs in the Lisbon district. Data was collected through a survey to athletes and coaches and oral observation of athletes based on the decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth (DMFT) index, the basic erosive wear examination (BEWE) system, orofacial injury experience, and malocclusion.

Results:

The DMFT was 3.2 (±3.0) and increased with the years of sports drinks and/or energy drinks consumption (p<0.01). The presence of dental erosion was proportional to the consumption of these drinks (p=0.227; p=0.031). The prevalence of dental erosion was 13.2%, and the BEWE average was 2.5 (±1.4). According to the coaches, 67.0% of athletes suffered orofacial injuries during sports, and the main cause was contact with the ball. Mouthguards were used by 22.0%, and individuals who did not use them suffered more orofacial injuries (p=0.240).

Conclusions:

Dental caries were mostly found in athletes who had consumed sports and/or energy drinks for a long time, who also tended to show tooth erosion. Failure to use mouthguards led to more orofacial injuries.

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