What You Need to Know About Sports-Related Teeth Injuries

Common injuries to a child's teeth during sports may include a chip or a crack. However, your child could also lose a tooth completely as a result of a sports-related injury. Prevention is key, but you should also understand what to do if your child should experience a sports-related tooth injury. 

Steps to Prevent a Tooth Injury 
Preventative measures can protect your child's teeth from an injury. Even if your child has his or her primary teeth only, you should take the necessary steps to help prevent a problem. 

Mouth Guard 
The following well-respected dental organizations recommend that children wear mouth guards during sports:

• American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
• American Dental Association
• Academy for Sports Dentistry 
• American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• American Association of Orthodontists

Generally, you should opt for a custom-made mouth guard for your child. These guards are more comfortable and will protect your child's teeth more adequately.  

When you request a dentist to create a custom mouth guard for your child, the practitioner will take a full-mouth impression of your child's teeth. The dentist then sends the impression to a laboratory that can craft the mouth guard. 

Once the guard comes back from the lab, your child's dentist will ensure it fits properly. Fortunately, once your child has the mouth guard, he or she may use it for most contact sport that he or she participates in.     

During a visit to the dentist for a mouth guard, you and your child will also receive education on how to properly clean the guard. 

Helmet
Your child should wear a helmet during contact sports that could result in a tooth injury. A standard helmet can protect your child's teeth since this type of helmet can prevent an impact that causes your child to bite down hard enough to damage his or her teeth. 

On the other hand, you can find a helmet that has a face shield to protect your child's teeth better. These helmets are the ones you see professional baseball, football, and hockey players wearing. The face cage prevents a ball or puck from coming in contact with your child's teeth. Additionally, this variety of helmet also protects in the event your child runs into another kid headfirst. 

Steps to Take for a Tooth Injury 
If your child has an oral injury from sports, you should assess your child's mouth for any chipped, cracked, or missing teeth.

Broken or Missing Tooth
If you notice your child is partially or completely missing a tooth, you should gather the piece or pieces carefully. Contact your child's dentist immediately to request an emergency appointment and learn how to preserve the tooth until you reach the office.

A dentist can reinsert a permanent tooth, but he can't reinsert a primary tooth. Keep in mind that a dentist can only reinsert a tooth if you seek immediate attention for your child. 

Chipped or Cracked Tooth 
If the sports-related injury is a chipped tooth, you want to find the missing piece, if possible. However, if you can't find the missing portion, a dentist can still repair your child's tooth. This particular injury isn't an emergency, but you should contact your kid's dentist for an appointment as soon as possible. In addition, for a cracked tooth, you want to take your child to the dentist as soon as possible.

Loose Tooth 
If your child's tooth is loose, you want to bring your child to the dentist as soon as possible to ensure the tooth will tighten on its own and intervene if it doesn't.

Sports are a fun way for your child to learn new skills and interact with others. However, these activities may cause damage to your child's tooth. Prevention helps, but you still should know what to do in the event of a tooth injury. 

Schedule an appointment with Rabel Family Dentistry, serving Baker, LA and the nearby region, for a mouth guard fitting or to fix a tooth injury.