5 Common Dental Injuries In Sports And How To Prevent Them

Dental injury is a common thing for many athletes. Some of them carry the scars as a sign of honor for the preparation they go through every year and the accomplishments that they have made. Sadly, though, injuries do not come with such entertainment. They are painful and could lead to the end of one’s career dreams. Fortunately, today, there is no need to walk around with a gap between the teeth or a missing tooth. Nowadays, dentists can manage all sorts of tooth injuries irrespective of the degree of the damage or the sport involved.

Sports-Related Tooth Injury

If you watch or participate in many sporting events, you have often watched favorite athletes have their teeth damaged, cracked, or knocked out. However, injuries associated with such types of sports occur daily. They lead to dental problems and seriously harm teeth and general health. Let us learn about popular kinds of dental injuries in sports, how to avoid them, and what individuals should do if they occur. It may help you preserve your smile even if you suffer a blow to the mouth.

Basic Protection

Helmets
The helmet helps reduce the odds of suffering dental or skull damage. However, for better support and protection, you should go for a helmet that properly and rightly fits you. But, how do you select one? First of all, the size of your head needs to be assessed. The type of helmet that you should choose should rest just an inch or two above the eyebrow, depending on the type, and the back part should reach your skull. The cheek pads must fit closely to the face.

Mouthguards
A mouthguard will minimize the chances of tooth dislocations, tooth fractures, or even cuts in the soft tissue. Further, mouth guards assist in reducing shock forces to the chin and avoiding tooth subluxations. There are three main categories of mouthguards that you can wear during any sport or physical activity.

• Stock mouthguard – this type of mouthguard is pre-molded and, therefore, is ready to be worn. Because they are pre-established, they often do not fit like a glove.
• Boil and bite – this particular one is already formed in a specific shape. It may be altered through the use of hot water treatment.
• Specialized – To use this mouthpiece, you must visit your dentist, who makes it from a mold of your teeth. Your dentist will also give you information concerning the best fit and protection.

Sports-Related Dental Emergencies

Many dental injuries involve the maxillary labial region and the anterior teeth. Some of the common injuries include:

Knocked-out Tooth
A knocked-out tooth is often an injury where someone has a loose enamel. Fortunately, it could be repaired if the hassle is detected early enough. When a tooth is knocked out, the blood vessels leave, and connective tissue and nerves are damaged. They cannot be restored, and as such, they require endodontic therapy. When the bone is reinserted into the tooth socket, the blood clot forms and holds it firmly.

It is only possible to re-implant permanent teeth. To improve your chances of re-implantation, do not touch the root of your tooth regarding avulsed teeth. It is recommended that the tooth be put in the milk or saliva of the injured person. The individual should seek the dentist’s assistance within half an hour of the incident. If the tooth becomes dirty, rinse it in milk. Also, please do not use a cloth to wipe it, as you may worsen the situation.

Cracked Tooth
This is a rather frequent injury, mainly affecting sportsmen and sportswomen who take a blow to the jaw. A couple of factors determine the extent of a tooth crack. They include the force applied to the teeth and whether the player wore a mouthguard. Occasionally, the tooth does not cause discomfort unless you take hot or cold drinks or apply pressure on the tooth. Usually, it is diagnosed during a dental examination. If the crack is not very severe, it will not need any treatment, and the tooth cracks will need to be fixed by a composite build-up or capping the tooth.

In some circumstances, the tooth with a fracture may be too large to save or may have experienced significant damage, which may have to be extracted and replaced with a dental implant or dental bridge.

Tooth Displaced
Displacement can be either intralingual or extra gingival. The latter occurs when the tooth has become stuck partway out of its socket. When a tooth is knocked into the socket, the nerves usually feel much pain. This, therefore, means that treatment should be early. The management focuses on splinting, surgery, or repositioning in most cases. However, external tooth displacement calls for conservative repositioning and the application of a splint.

Preventing Injury
Measures that can be used to avoid dental tooth injury include the use of protective gear. In this case, while engaged in contact or non-contact sport, you should wear protective gear, which includes face cages, a helmet, and a mouth guard. This protective gear is helpful in sports that make you run at high speeds, such as skating and bike riding.

Emergencies usually arise when least expected. Sometimes, you just have a little pain or sensation. However, if the ache and pain persist, one must visit an emergency dentist as quickly as possible.

Sometimes, you have no option but to approach an emergency dentist. Anyone participating in sports activities related to the above injuries should seek dental services immediately to avoid worsening the situation.

Conclusion

As we all have heard, prevention is always better than cure. To a massive extent, it minimizes the incidence of great dental mishaps and performs a widespread function in enamel safety. It would also be a good idea to know the best way to minimize cases of injuries.

Some protective sports accessories, such as mouth protectors, help secure teeth and gum. However, if the situation has reached an extent where the person has suffered dental difficulty in sports and/or other recreational activities, do not hesitate to consult a professional dentist specializing in sports activities and dental problems.