{"id":190,"date":"2021-09-04T11:31:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-04T11:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.whitecosmeticdentist.com\/blog\/?p=190"},"modified":"2021-10-13T02:29:24","modified_gmt":"2021-10-13T02:29:24","slug":"how-athletes-avoid-common-dental-emergency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.whitecosmeticdentist.com\/blog\/how-athletes-avoid-common-dental-emergency\/","title":{"rendered":"How Athletes Can Avoid the Most Common Dental Emergencies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.whitecosmeticdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/rsz_adobestock_210390953-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Young football player wearing a helmet with custom mouthguard\" class=\"wp-image-191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.whitecosmeticdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/rsz_adobestock_210390953-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.whitecosmeticdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/rsz_adobestock_210390953-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.whitecosmeticdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/rsz_adobestock_210390953-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.whitecosmeticdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/rsz_adobestock_210390953-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.whitecosmeticdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/rsz_adobestock_210390953-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you an athlete? Whether you play a team sport like basketball or prefer going it alone on a skateboard, you are at risk of experiencing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitecosmeticdentist.com\/emergency-dentistry.html\">dental emergency<\/a>. According to the American Dental Assistants&#8217; Association, roughly 15 million Americans experience some type of sports-related dental injury each year. Here\u2019s a look at some of the most common oral injuries among athletes and how you can protect your mouth from unexpected trauma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Top 3 Dental Injuries Among Athletes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Cracked Tooth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you take a blow to the face from an opponent\u2019s elbow or a loose ball, you could end up with a cracked tooth. Some dental fractures are small enough that they are invisible to the naked eye. However, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Sharp pain when you bite down<\/li><li>Intermittent tooth pain <\/li><li>Pain while eating and drinking (especially when consuming hot or cold foods)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A small crack can usually be treated with a simple dental crown. More severe fractures may require root canal therapy or even extraction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Fractured Roots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tooth injuries in sports are not limited to crown damage. Blows that land at a certain angle can also cause a fractured tooth root. Cracks that begin in the roots can eventually work their way up to the visible surface of teeth. Because these fractures are often invisible, you may only realize you have a dental injury when an infection develops. In general, the sooner a patient with a root fracture receives root canal therapy, the less likely they are to experience necrosis that leads to tooth loss. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Tooth Intrusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sports injuries that drive teeth back into the jawbone are known as \u201cintrusions\u201d. This type of injury should be treated relatively quickly since the affected dental pulp usually becomes necrotic, which means it dies. Other complications related to tooth intrusions include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Tooth pulp is damaged beyond recovery during the injury <\/li><li>Injured tooth root fuses to the nearby bone<\/li><li>Root resorption (shortening of the roots)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Prevent Dental Injuries When Playing Sports<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As an athlete, having the right gear is essential to protecting your mouth and teeth. The American Dental Association recommends wearing custom mouthguards when playing basketball, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and many other individual and team sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A typical mouthguard covers the top teeth and is designed to guard against cut lips, cracked or dislodged teeth, and other types of damage to the mouth. According to the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation (NYSSF), players who don&#8217;t wear mouthguards are 60 times more likely to damage their teeth during competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Types of Mouthguards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are three main types of protective mouthguards:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Stock mouthguards<\/strong> \u2013 Inexpensive and ready to wear right out of the package. Stock mouthguards may not fit as comfortably as alternatives.<\/li><li><strong>Boil-and-bite mouthguards<\/strong> \u2013 With this type of guard, you boil a preformed piece of plastic and then bite into it for a customized fit.<\/li><li><strong>Custom mouthguards<\/strong> \u2013 Specifically designed for your mouth by using an impression of your teeth. While custom mouthguards from a dentist are more expensive, they also provide the best fit and protection.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to protecting your jaw and teeth, a little bit of prevention goes a long way! Save your smile from injury and save yourself money by talking to your dentist today about getting a custom mouthguard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Julia White has almost a decade of experience helping patients in Goode, VA protect their smiles. She regularly creates custom mouthguards for athletes and can often accommodate same-day appointments for dental emergencies. To learn more about how to prevent dental emergencies when playing sports, visit the White Cosmetic &amp; Family Dentistry <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitecosmeticdentist.com\/contact.html\">website<\/a> or call <a href=\"tel:%20540-587-5707\">540-587-5707<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you an athlete? Whether you play a team sport like basketball or prefer going it alone on a skateboard, you are at risk of experiencing a dental emergency. According to the American Dental Assistants&#8217; Association, roughly 15 million Americans experience some type of sports-related dental injury each year. Here\u2019s a look at some of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How Athletes Can Avoid the Most Common Dental Emergencies<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are you an athlete? 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