Rise in mouthguard claims among girls as more play contact sports
THERE’S been a big surge in the number of girls turning to contact sports such as football and soccer, sports once seen as male domains.
PRIVATE health insurance claims for mouthguards for girls are soaring as more young women tackle contact sports such as Australian football and soccer.
Medibank data shows a 20 per cent surge in claims for mouthguards for teenage girls since 2015 as they flock to enjoy sports once seen as male domains.
Claims by teen boys in the same period rose by 8 per cent.
Most mouthguards are claimed by parents in March, marking the start of the school sport season.
Medibank chief medical officer Dr Linda Swan urged parents to ensure children had the right protective gear including mouthguards when playing contact sport.
“Any injury is painful and frustrating, but dental injuries can be very expensive to fix,” Dr Swan said.
Broadview Tigers under-16s girls team manager Mary-Anne Clark said she was pleased there was a compulsory mouthguard policy at the football club where her daughter Julia plays.
“I think it is very important, and it is well worth the expense to get a properly fitted mouthguard,” she said.
The Medibank data also shows a rise in claims for sports-related knee injury claims for girls. Figures since 2012 show a 52 per cent increase in anterior cruciate ligament repairs for girls aged 10 to 14 years. For those aged 10 to 19, it was a 31 per cent increase, although the overall numbers were still less than for males.
Dr Swan said it was up to parents and coaches to ensure children were warming up properly, to reduce injury risk.
“It’s great to see children and teenagers being active and playing team sports, however we don’t want to see children hospitalised with injuries that could have been avoided,” Dr Swan said. “They’re also looking at lengthy rehabilitation and time on the bench.”
Dr Swan noted the new data mirrors the rise in girls and young women playing contact sport.
Last year the AFL reported a 76 per cent rise in teams and 463,364 participants in female programs, a jump with surprised even the officials reporting it at the time.
Medibank Better Health Foundation has partnered with The Centre for Sport and Social Impact at La Trobe University in Melbourne to better understand injury prevention programs for adolescent female soccer players.
The researchers have found teenage girls participating in soccer has dramatically increased and appear at higher risk of knee injury than boys.
A study published in the International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching found better education of coaches and players is critical in preventing knee injuries.