Sports are always thrilling to watch, but they are also dangerous for players. The aspects of any sport that make it so exciting also make it very dangerous for the general health of players, and that includes their oral health. Whether it’s a contact sport such as football or soccer, or a more relaxed non-contact sport such as baseball or tennis, injuries occur.
In any sport with a piece of equipment such as a bat or a golf club, anyone could get hit in the face with a flying object. Sports that utilize balls are dangerous if the ball makes contact with a player. Any sport in which physical contact between players is common is also quite dangerous to your oral health. If you play sports, you might know that anything can cause you to sustain an injury to the mouth requiring immediate dental care.
Fractured Teeth – With this type of tooth injury, it is not uncommon for players to experience substantial pain. A tooth becomes fractured when it is injured on many occasions, including sports injuries. When this happens, treatment is needed to help repair the tooth as quickly as possible. Leaving it alone without dental care can kill the tooth and result in far worse injury to your tooth and mouth.
Avulsed Tooth – To put this one simply, an avulsed tooth is another term for a tooth that is knocked completely out of its socket and out of the mouth. This happens in some contact sports and other sports injuries, and it requires immediate medical attention. In fact, when a tooth has been knocked out in this manner, it is typically no good and no longer able to be saved after around 2 hours. It must be placed in a container with either whole milk, saliva or even saline solution and brought immediately to our dental offices for repair.
Luxated Tooth – This is a tooth that is loosened due to an injury, but still attached in the mouth. At Vestal Dental, we take this tooth and replace it into its original position. Our dental professionals then work on the tooth to reattach it to the mouth and help to put it back in place.
Sports mouthwear protection helps to prevent against injuries of this nature in the first place. While it is perfectly possible to repair an injured tooth following a sports injury, it is even better to prevent said injuries in the first place. Our dental professionals can help fit you with a custom protectant designed to help ensure you are able to keep your teeth, gums and mouth protected at all times.
To learn more about protective mouthguards or to schedule an appointment, please call us at (607) 785-3339 or fill out the appointment request form on this page and our team will be happy to assist you.