When Sports Lead to Dental Dilemmas

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Emergency Dentist Santa Clara, CA

Dental dilemmas can occur at any time, but playing contact sports tends to increase the odds. Your face and mouth are exposed to trauma that can be the result of contact with another player or tripping and landing on your face.

That is why mouthguards are the norm when it comes to sports nowadays — from football players to prizefighters, it almost impossible to find a professional athlete without one when competing. Wearing a mouthguard significantly reduces the odds of dental dilemmas occurring.

Most common dental dilemmas caused by sports

  1. Knocked out teeth

    A tooth can become knocked out as a result of a person's mouth being exposed to trauma. It can easily leave the person in shock, but it really is not as bad as most people think. The first thing that should be done when a tooth becomes knocked out is to secure any pieces of it that can be found. If the entire tooth and its roots are still intact, even better.

    The tooth should be stored in milk or a saliva solution and the person should head to an emergency dentist as soon as possible. In some cases, the dentist might be able to reattach the tooth.

    The dentist will also examine the patient's mouth and check to see if the injury damaged anything else. Any issues detected will be addressed immediately. If the dentist is unable to reattach the tooth, they will educate the patient about tooth replacement options like implants or bridges.

  2. Broken teeth

    A broken tooth is another common sports injury, and it is often caused by direct trauma to the mouth. The part of the tooth that breaks off often determines the severity of a broken tooth. If it is the outermost part of the tooth, the damage is not severe and the tooth might be restored with dental bonding or a crown. This type of injury typically is not accompanied by lots of pain or bleeding.

    If the damage affects the inner layers of the tooth, it usually comes with lots of pain and bleeding. The patient should head to an emergency dentist immediately so that that the damage can be addressed. Such an injury would require the use of a crown to protect the tooth from the food particles, bacteria and saliva.

  3. Chipped teeth

    Chipped teeth might be the most common dental injury caused by sports. It only takes a small amount of force for a hard object to chip off a layer of enamel or dentin. Most cases of chipped teeth are not accompanied by pain or bleeding, but it does leave a tooth more susceptible to tooth decay. It also ruins its aesthetics. It is best to see a dentist as soon as possible to have the tooth restored. Crowns, veneers and composites resins are commonly used to deal with chipped teeth.

The bottom line

While dental dilemmas are a part of most sports, wearing a mouthguard significantly reduces the odds of your teeth getting damaged. Talk to one of our dentists about getting a customized mouth guard today.

Call (408) 361-8133 today to reach You Smile Dental.

Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Emergency Dentist.

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