Sports injuries are one of the most common injuries that impact oral health. Your dentist in Charleston, WV sees many patients for emergency dental care for sports injuries. Although some injuries may be bound to happen, there are ways to protect the mouth, teeth and gums.
Common Sports-Related Dental Injuries
- Chipped/cracked tooth
- Knocked out tooth
- General mouth trauma
- Severely bitten tongue
- Tooth knocked sideways
- Braces lacerate lips and/or gums
How to Protect Against Oral Sports Injuries
Wear a Mouthguard
Mouthguards are a must-have item for anybody engaging in a sport that includes falls, body contact, or fast-moving items. For team sports like football, basketball, baseball, and hockey, this advice holds especially true.
Wear a Helmet
Helmets are made to protect the head, but they can also protect the mouth, teeth and gums. Many helmets have several “rails” that go across the mouth area, keeping this part from experiencing any sudden impact from collision and/or falls.
Avoid Night Play
In the beautiful West Virginia summer weather, it’s easy to not notice when nightfall has begun. But if you’re playing in the backyard or an area without night lights, you should consider stopping play when it gets to be dusk. It’s much harder to avoid accidental collisions, which are one of the major causes of oral injuries.
Keep Kids Away From Adult Play
If you have an enthusiastic child who wants to join in the fun, it’s better to enjoy sports one-on-one, where there will be plenty of attention and protection. Otherwise, in an adult team environment, it’s much harder to keep youngsters safe from flying sports equipment. One example is stick hockey. The swing of a hockey stick is in line with the face height of a young child. If the child is new to the sport, it’s more likely they won’t be able to react quickly enough or stay out of the way of everyone’s hockey stick.
Remember, sports injuries don’t just happen on official playing fields. More often than not, they happen in the backyard. That’s why it’s important to follow these safety tips, even when you’re at home. When you needemergency dental care in Charleston, WV, contact us to book your appointment.