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Posts for tag: dental emergencies
A recent study revealed that on average there are 22,000 dental injuries in children under the age of 18. This alarming reality makes it clear that parents, caregivers, and coaches need to understand the risks for dental injuries so that they are best equipped to prevent them...or at least be prepared to manage one should it occur. The four most common categories for measuring risks associated with sports injuries are:
- Age: Age is an important factor when accessing risk. Sports-related dental injuries tend to spike during the teenage years. Recent research shows that children under the age of 13 tend to not be injured as often.
- Gender: Gender is probably the second most influential factor. The facts are that males top the list for experiencing dental injuries during sports or vigorous activities. However, more and more females are playing highly competitive and contact sports or activities; thus, their risk of injury is increasing.
- Shape and position of your teeth: Both the condition and positions of the teeth affect their risk of injury. More prominent or “buck” teeth are considered a higher risk for injury than teeth in a more normal position. Furthermore, 80% of all dental injuries involve the upper front teeth.
- Sports type: This last category is the one most often asked about, as parents, caregivers and athletes want to know which sports or activities have the highest risks for dental injuries. And while baseball and basketball top the list, the American Dental Association (ADA) has put together a comprehensive list of sports and activities. To review this list, read the Dear Doctor article, “Athletic Mouthguards.” The ADA also urges athletes to wear professionally-fitted mouthguards to protect against dental and facial injuries.
Knowing the above categories can help you assess your risk for a dental injury while playing in a sport or recreational activity. To learn more about sports-related dental injuries, read, “An Introduction To Sports Injuries & Dentistry.” Or if you have a traumatized, damaged, chipped or missing tooth from a sports or any other type of injury, contact us to discuss your situation or to schedule an appointment.
Witnessing or being involved in a sports-related dental injury can be a scary event not only for the player, but also for onlookers even if the injuries turn out to be minor. However, knowing what to do — and more importantly — how quickly to react can make a radical difference to the outcome. This is just one reason why we want to share the following easy-to-remember guidelines for what, how and when you need to respond to various types of dental injuries.
- Immediate — within 5 minutes of the injury: If a permanent tooth is totally knocked out (avulsed), it requires immediate treatment by cleaning and re-implanting the tooth back into its original position to have any hope of saving the tooth long-term. Knocked out baby (primary) teeth are not reimplanted for fear of damage to underlying permanent teeth.
- Urgent — within 6 hours of the injury: If a permanent or primary tooth is still in the mouth but has been moved from its original position, it is considered an acute injury and should be treated within 6 hours.
- Less urgent — within 12 hours of the injury: If a permanent or primary tooth is broken or chipped but has not shifted from its original position, the injury is classified as less urgent. You still need to see a dentist for an exam; however, you generally can wait up to 12 hours before possible irreversible damage occurs.
Want To Learn More?
There are several ways you can learn more about sports-related dental injuries.
- Read the Dear Doctor article, “The Field-Side Guide To Dental Injuries.”
- Download and print the FREE quick reference guide
- Or if you have a traumatized, damaged, chipped or missing tooth from a sports or any other type of injury, contact us to discuss your situation or to schedule an appointment.