21
July
2021
|
12:56
Australia/Melbourne

‘Smart mouthguard’ trial to revolutionise junior sport safety

Summary

In an Australian first trial, Bupa Dental has partnered with HitIQ to fit junior rugby players with ‘smart mouthguards’ to monitor head knocks.

This is the first time hi-tech mouthguard technology has been made available to junior Rugby players in Australia with the aim of enhancing grassroots concussion safety protocols.

The HitIQ smart mouthguards, currently used by AFL and NRL players, is embedded with force measuring sensors that log head knocks and the accumulation of force from hits sustained during a game. The trial will see up to 100 players from the Wests Bulldogs Junior Rugby Club fitted for the mouthguards at Bupa Dental’s Brisbane and Toowong Practices.

Bupa’s Managing Director of Health Services, Dr Dwayne Crombie said this is a landmark trial that bridges the gap between dental care and general health care and safety for junior athletes.

“The importance of an expertly fitted mouthguard for young players is widely acknowledged, but we know very little about the effects of game-day collisions on their developing brains with most concussion-related research being undertaken on elite level adult players.

“This has the potential to be a truly transformational offering and we’re proud to be the first dental practice to offer the HitIQ solution to Australian children,” Dr Crombie said.

Concussion is a growing concern at professional rugby league level with one concussion being recorded every 1.6 games according to recent reports[1].

Mike Vegar, Managing Director Hit IQ said it was exciting to be partnering with Australia’s largest dental provider for this trial that will go a long way towards helping local and international sports bodies understand how to make junior sport safer.

“We know a major barrier to junior sport participation is parental concern over concussions and head knocks.

“Our artificial intelligence enabled mouthguard not only gathers accumulative data for analysis but can also assist in game-day concussion assessments and faster linkages to medical assistance,” Mike Vegar said.

In the event that a child sustains a head impact above a pre-determined threshold during a game or training, parents of the child will be able to receive a text message with a link to a head injury symptomology assessment. If the child fails the assessment, they will be advised to follow club concussion protocols and seek medical treatment.

Dr Crombie said Bupa Dental looks forward to reviewing the results of the trial with a view to potentially extending the offering more widely.

Bupa Dental and HitIQ’s Junior Rugby Pilot Project is currently underway and will end mid-August.