Contact sports can be dangerous to your teeth. Something like a stick, racket, ball, puck or just another person can leave the mouth unprotected. And damage can be done to the teeth.
Helmets can Protect from Dental Injuries
Working a bit backwards, the easiest solution is to wear a mouth guard to protect your teeth. Helmets are also helpful in protecting the entire head which protects from a wider scope of injuries.
Types of Sports Related Dental Injuries
The range of dental injuries includes chipping the tooth to various degrees, having the tooth move either a bit out, a bit in, or forwards or backwards. In an extreme case you can knock out the tooth altogether. I’ll address treatment solutions for each.
Solutions
Small chips can usually be handled with a small composite filling. If more extreme the tooth may need root canal therapy if the nerve is damaged. This requires removing the nerve. Then a special material is placed in the space where the nerve was – known as gutta percha. This looks like a putty and fills the space that had been occupied by the nerve. Depending on the severity of the industry, a filling can do the job. Or, if much tooth is missing a stronger material can be placed in the middle of the tooth (a post, made of flexible but strong material) This solution will usually need a crown for protection.
Loose or Knocked out Teeth
Moving the tooth out of the socket but still in the mouth will require repositioning of the tooth. A dentist can move that around and then secure the tooth with a fixed splint. The splint will remain in the mouth until all is stabilized. At that point the tooth will be evaluated for possible further treatment . For example, if the nerve dies a root canal will be needed.
If Your Tooth Gets Knocked Out
If a tooth is knocked out don’t throw it away! And don’t play with it. The recommended treatment is to put it in a glass of milk until you can see a dentist. The goal is to place it back in the socket and get it stabilized. There are important cells attached to the root of the tooth which will help with stabilizing the tooth. So DO NOT clean these cells off. If you can’t get to a dentist within 3-5 hours, just rinse the tooth off and place it back in the socket.
Call us or try to get to a dentist to have this stabilized. Also, this tooth needs to have root canal therapy. Patients who omit this step will be in for a big surprise: the tooth will start to dissolve from the end of the root. The tooth will stay in a while but with no root, the tooth is doomed and one of the replacement options will be needed.
I want to mention that if a baby tooth is knocked out of the socket, it is not recommended to place it back in the mouth as the permanent tooth bud underneath can be damaged, and the roots are usually too small to secure them.
If you have a sports related tooth injury, call us right away, even if it’s off hours. Our goal is to save your teeth! We will guide you through the process and get you into the office as soon as possible!