Abstract

Maxillofacial and dental ice hockey injuries in Finland were studied during 1979 to 1985. A total of 6,885 accidents occurred to registered players between 1979 and 1982, and 791 (11.5) of them affected the maxillofacial and dental regions. There were 1,401 separate injuries during the same period, 1,184 of which (84.5) affected the teeth. The most common cause of accidents (in 54.1 of cases) was a blow received from a stick. Maxillofacial and dental injuries accounted for 38.0 of the total cost of all ice hockey injuries. The mean cost of maxillofacial and dental injuries was over 3 times as high as that for ice hockey injuries as a whole. The use of a mandatory full-cage mask greatly reduced the number of maxillofacial and dental injures and hence the cost of treatment. Verf.-Referat