Time for Sport Protectors to Prevent Dental Injuries in Austin

By AustinDentalSpa on September 8, 2011

Dental injuries in Austin may not occur as often as suspected nationwide according to The National Youth Sports Safety Foundation. The National Youth Sports Safety Foundation projects that over 3 million teeth to be knocked out during sporting activities in the 2011-2012 year. Dental injuries can be serious and may result in much more than a tooth being lost.

Tooth loss prevents proper spacing of teeth to occur. Tooth loss may create a location for debris to accumulate, contributing to tooth decay in other teeth. If a tooth is not lost during a sporting injury, it may be cracked, displaced or may produce a broken jaw or craniofacial injury.  While baseball and basketball are two common sports linked to dental injuries, every sport or playful sporting activity poses a risk for a dental injury, even playing on a playground.

Prevent Dental Injuries!

If you have a child, you’ll want to check in with your dentist about a mouth guard. Mouth guards protect teeth from dental injuries, but do not interfere with the activity.  There are a variety of mouth guards to select from. Your child’s mouth guard will be custom made for his or her needs. You’ll also want to purchase an appropriately fitted helmet for contact sports.  There are also different types of helmets for each sport. Helmets with facial protection offer similar support to prevent dental injuries.

What to Do If Your Child Has a Dental Injury

• If a tooth has fallen out, you may pick it up without touching the tooth root, try to clean it with only milk and replace it in the tooth socket.  If that measure fails, place the tooth in milk and go to a dentist immediately to see if they can preserve the tooth.
• If a tooth is cracked or broken off, visit a dentist within 24 hours to receive emergency treatment.
• If your child has a jaw injury, go to the nearest emergency room immediately.

If you are interested in a consultation contact Austin dentist Dr. Mark Sweeney at 512-380-1300.

Posted in Dentistry FAQ's