Dental Injuries: How To Protect Yourself And What To Do In An Emergency
Dental injuries are not at all uncommon. In fact, if you have a child that plays sports, you have probably seen your fair share of dental-related injuries. According to research, 13 to 39 percent of dental injuries can be traced back to sports. It is more common for males to suffer a dental-related injury in sports than females, probably because the sports where these injuries occur are male-dominant. However, regardless of sex, child athletes need to take care in protecting themselves from injury and the potential need for oral reconstructive surgery. In addition, it is important to also know what to do in the event of dental trauma, such as a knocked out tooth.
How Children Should Protect Themselves From Dental Injuries
There are numerous sports where children are in contact with one another, including football, soccer, baseball, softball, ice hockey, field hockey and boxing. That's only to name a few. There are many others. While some of these sports do not require protective gear to be worn, others do. One sport that does indeed require protective gear to be worn is football. The sad thing about it is that only a fraction of children are in compliance with the requirement to wear the required mouthguards. One study reports that only 70 percent of caretakers say that their children wear a mouthguard during football practice and games. In a sport like basketball, which doesn't require mouthguards to be worn, 68 percent of caretakers report that their children do not wear mouthguards even though research shows that these players are more likely to sustain an orofacial injury than a football player.
Aside from mouthguards, children who play sports should consider other protective gear based on the type of sport they are playing. For example, face cages can prove to be beneficial for hockey goalies and baseball catchers, as these help to protect the face against trauma.
What To Do When Dental Trauma Occurs
Although protective gear should be worn at all times, even during practices, it is important that child athletes know what to do should trauma occur. This is particularly true if a tooth gets knocked out as time is of the essence and the right steps are necessary in order to save it. First, phone your dentist immediately and inform them of the situation. The sooner you get to them, the better off you will be. Rinse the tooth off and try to place it back into the socket. If you can't, place it between the cheek and the gum to keep it moist. If for whatever reason you can't do this, try to get your hands on a glass of milk and keep the tooth in it until you get to the dental office.
If you tooth can't be saved, there are plenty of dental advances that will allow you to maintain a beautiful smile. If you suffered any type of lacerations to your face, lips or gums, the dentist will be able to treat your injuries and get you back to looking good as new.
To learn more, contact a company like Central PA Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons LLC.