One of the best parts of summertime for children is that they can finally get back to playing some of their favorite sports! School sports often start with training during the summer so kids are ready to compete once the school year begins.
Unfortunately, contact sports — like basketball, football, and soccer — can lead to dental injuries, including children losing a tooth. When this happens, you’ll likely need Edinburg general dentistry to help deal with any dental sports injuries that may have occurred.
If you’re looking for some sports dental injury prevention tips, you’ve come to the right place. Learn more from your Edinburg dentist at Heroes Dental.
Common Dental Injuries in Sports
While some athletes may lose a tooth at some point during their time on the football field or basketball court, there are a few other injuries that can occur. While some are less obvious, you should always seek out Edinburg general dentistry if your child starts complaining of tooth pain.
Besides tooth loss, some common dental injuries include:
Fractured Roots
A fractured tooth may not be immediately noticeable, but it can lead to pain, infection, and eventually tooth loss! The good news is that root canal therapy can help to treat this injury, and our emergency dentist in Edinburg, TX, can provide the support you need.
Cracked Teeth
A cracked tooth can be quite painful around the roots, but it may not be noticeable until you see your child’s dentist. In this case, it’s important to seek treatment right away or your little hero may lose a tooth.
Tooth Intrusion
Sports can be tough on our kids’ teeth, and one common injury is tooth intrusion. This is when a tooth gets pushed back into the jawbone, which can cause damage to the roots and pulp. It’s important to get treatment right away so further dental health issues don’t arise.
Preventing Sports Dental Injuries: Why You Should Use a Silicone Mouth Guard
According to the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, not wearing a mouthguard increases the risk of tooth damage by a whopping 60 times. It’s really not possible to oversell the importance of wearing a silicone mouth guard when participating in physical sports.
Even if your child isn’t playing a sport like mountain biking or skateboarding, it’s still a good idea to wear one. It’s especially important to protect those teeth if your little hero has braces or other dental appliances. A typical mouthguard will cover your top teeth and help prevent various types of mouth damage for one entire athletic season!
Picking the Right Mouthguard for Sports Dental Injury Prevention
There are a lot of mouthguard options on the market, but some are better at sports dental injury prevention. Options include:
1. Stock Mouthguards
These are cheap but don’t offer as much protection and are less comfortable.
2. Boil-and-Bite Mouthguards
These are typically some type of moldable plastic that you boil and have your child bite down on to mold it. They are more comfortable, but they can deform if they get too hot and will need to be remolded.
3. Custom Mouthguards
Custom mouthguards are the priciest but it’s much cheaper than seeing an emergency dentist in Edinburg, TX. With custom mouthguards, the dentist will make a mold of your child’s teeth, creating a mouthguard that fits perfectly. A silicone mouth guard like this is great at protecting teeth and it can even be modified to better protect your child based on what they play!
Silicone Mouth Guard Maintenance
Mouthguards are easy to maintain. If it is made of a moldable material, your child can brush it exactly like their teeth with cool water and toothpaste. Silicone mouthguards can be treated the same and are easier to sterilize since you can generally use common sanitizing solutions so long as you rinse well.
When not in use, any mouthguard should be kept in a hard case. Be sure the mouthguard and case are completely dry before trying to store them for any length of time.
Trust Heroes Dental for Your Edinburg General Dentistry Needs
No matter what questions you have about dental care for you and your family, Heroes Dental is here to help. We’re ready to help make sure your child doesn’t lose a tooth or suffer from other dental injury. We can cover your Edinburg general dentistry and emergency dentist services.