Chipped teeth and a broken nose may sound like boxing war wounds, but amateur soccer players are at risk of such injuries as well, researchers report.

In a small study of facial-injury patients at their clinic, Turkish researchers found that over one year, 11 amateur soccer players were treated for broken teeth, jawbone fractures and other facial injuries.

The soccer players accounted for more than 20 percent of patients treated for such injuries at the center, according to Drs. Sinan and Ummuhan Tozoglu of Ataturk University in Erzurum.

They report the findings in the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.

The injured players were mostly men between the ages of 18 and 24, and dental fractures were the most common type of injury. Most of the other injuries were fractures of the lower jaw and problems in the temporomandibular joint, which moves the jaws; one player broke his nose.

Nearly two-thirds of the injuries occurred when the athletes collided with another player, the researchers found. It’s possible, they note, that protective gear - namely, mouthguards and faceguards - could have prevented many of these injuries.

The American Dental Association and other medical groups have called for greater use of mouthguards in any sport where there is a risk of oral and facial injuries, including soccer.

Mouthguards come in three general types: “one-size-fits-all” models sold at sporting goods stores; “boil-and-bite” models, which are softened in water so that the athlete can bite down and create a self-styled mold; and custom-fitted mouthguards that are made by a dentist.

Research has shown that soccer players only rarely use mouthguards, the Tozoglus note in their report. Some reasons, they add, may include discomfort and poor fit, which can be lessened by a custom-fitted device.

But it’s also up to coaches and sports organizers to encourage mouthguard use, the researchers write, and to equipment makers to design devices that players will be willing to use.

SOURCE: Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, September 2006.