A Guide To Sports-Related Dental Issues

Sports are very important to many parents and children. From as young as first grade through high school and even college, participating in a sport can help your child stay active, teach them valuable lessons, and be a fun environment to make lasting friendships. That said, every parent knows that sports come with sports injuries. This is even truer the older your children get and the more intense and competitive the sports get. In that regard, it is important for parents to be aware of the right procedures to use in case their child gets injured. This extends to dental injuries as well.

What Types of Dental Issues Are Caused By Sports

There are a variety of dental emergencies that can be caused by sports. This most likely will occur due to an immediate blow, either by your child getting hit by a ball or colliding with another athlete. The following are the most common types of injuries and how to handle them.

• Fractured Teeth: A fractured tooth is a tooth that is either cracked or broken. This can happen because of an impact like a baseball or soccer ball hitting the tooth. A fractured tooth can be fixed quickly if the child is brought to a dentist quickly. When transporting the fragment, either keep it in milk, saline solution, or have the athlete keep the tooth piece under their tongue if there is no milk or saline available. Alternatively, a dental crown can be used if the tooth fragment can’t be recovered.
• Luxation: Luxation is a dental term for when a tooth appears longer or shorter because it was pushed into the gumline or out of the gumline. Like a fractured tooth, your child should immediately be brought to a dentist. A dentist can reposition a tooth. While traveling the child should be instructed to lightly bite down on a towel.
• Avulsion: Avulsion is the dental term for when a tooth is completely knocked out or if the tooth remains in the mouth but in the wrong position. Similar to a fractured tooth, if an adult tooth is knocked out it can be brought to a dentist right away and put back in. You can either put the tooth in milk, saline, or instruct the athlete to keep the tooth under their tongue as they are taken to an emergency dentist. Alternatively, a dental implant can be used if the tooth cannot be recovered.

Should My Child Wear A Mouth Guard?

One solution to avoiding dental emergencies caused by sports is to wear a mouthguard. Some sports require students to wear mouth guards, the same way that helmets or shin guards are mandated. It is not necessary to wear a mouthguard when your child is in gym or a playing less competitive or safer sports. However, if your teenager wants to play at a competitive level in high school and is playing basketball, lacrosse, volleyball, hockey, baseball, or football, it may be beneficial for them to use a mouthguard.

Contact All Pro Dental

If you have other questions about dental health for your teenage athletes, feel free to contact All Pro Dental. We specialize in working with kids and teens and can answer your questions about sports-related dental injuries.