From Overjet to Overhead: Malocclusion and Increased Overjet as a Potential Upstream Risk Multiplier for Sports-Related Dentofacial Trauma
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2026.71.74789Keywords
traumatic dental injury, overjet, malocclusion, oral-health-related quality of life, sports injury prevention, mouthguards, health economics, orthodonticsAbstract
Background: A greater overjet combined with poor lip control has long been recognized as a significant morphological indicator of anterior traumatic dental injury (TDI), with sports being a primary environment for such injuries. Typically, the risks associated with orthodontics and the prevalence of TDI among athletes are examined separately. Objective: This review aims to evaluate how far orthodontic morphology influences the chain of athlete-related TDI burdens and whether preventative measures can lessen these effects. Methods: A carefully structured narrative review with a systematic appraisal approach was conducted using databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and Cochrane. The analysis utilized RoB 2, Newcastle-Ottawa, and AMSTAR-2 frameworks, along with GRADE for the sourced evidence. Results: An overjet measurement exceeding 3-3.5 mm approximately doubles the risk of incisor trauma, while inadequate lip coverage increases that risk by about 2.6 times. TDI adversely affects oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), self-esteem, and social confidence, with lifetime restorative treatment incurring various direct and indirect costs. Conclusions: The use of mouthguards can lower the incidence of orofacial injuries, and early correction of Class II malocclusion can reduce incisal trauma, with relatively low to moderate certainty. Orthodontic morphology represents a potentially alterable upstream factor that amplifies a significant biopsychosocial burden in athletes.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Julia Szymańska, Marta Krzyżanowska, Julia kamut, Izabela Truchel, Zuzanna Pająk, Karolina Kot-Ceglarek, Natalia Smyczyńska, Mikołaj Kubik, Julia Jaguszewska, Weronika Górska
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