Why Judo Should Require Mouthguards

Abstract

Judo is a very dynamic and aggressive full-contact sport. This study shows the value and need for Judoka (Judo athletes) to wear mouthguards during competition. The goal was to study and establish the actual use of Mouthguards in Judo and to use published articles to predict the benefit of mouthguard use for Judoka. When observing the number of Judoka who wear mouthguards during competition, it is clear that the lack of use is a problem that should be addressed. Many sports require the use of mouthguards during practice and competition, but Judo does not. Even though mouthguards can reduce many kinds of injuries to athletes, Judoka have only recently been allowed to wear mouthguards during competition, however, it still is not encouraged. I hypothesized that the number of Judoka who wear mouthguards may be low and the severity of injuries would be reduced in Judoka who wear mouthguards. My results indicate that mouthguards are not frequently worn as I found that approximately 1.5% of Judoka wear mouthguards from studying tournaments that took place in 2022. Mouthguards are important, as they can protect the hard and soft tissues of the mouth, reduce the seriousness of neck injuries, and minimize the severity of concussions. The purpose of this study is to raise awareness of the lack of use of mouthguards in the sport of Judo and that wearing mouthguards in Judo will reduce the risk and severity of injuries while avoiding costly medical treatment.