SPORTS DENTISTRY

Sports dentistry is the aspect of dental care that is concerned with the prevention and treatment of dental injuries caused by participation in athletics.

Five million permanent teeth will be avulsed, or knocked out, this year in the United States alone. Virtually all of these teeth will be lost in sports or fights.

The key to minimizing sports dental injuries is education and prevention.

Most people would assume that the majority of dental injuries are caused by "contact" sports such as football, hockey or boxing. Virtually all tooth avulsions are due to one particular "non-contact" sport – basketball. In football, a sport that requires the wearing of mouthguards, only .07% of injuries involve the teeth and oral cavity. In basketball, where the use of mouthguards is not required, 34% of all injuries involve the teeth and/or oral cavity.

The estimated lifetime cost of replacing and maintaining a tooth lost due to a traumatic injury is between 10,000 and 15,000 dollars per missing tooth. A tooth that is avulsed and replanted in the socket may require $5000 in initial care and follow-up treatment.

A tooth that is traumatized by a blow to the face during athletic participation may not show any symptoms at all for days, months or years. Many times the only symptom is a discoloration of the tooth due to the "nerve" of the tooth slowly dying and disintegrating. If this discoloration is noticed, contact your dentist immediately! This tooth will, in most circumstances, require immediate endodontic treatment to prevent an acute infection from occurring. This type of infection may be accompanied by pain, swelling, and possible bone loss.

How to prevent dental sports injuries:

The key to preventing dental injuries is wearing a properly designed and fitted mouthguard on a routine basis. There are several different types of mouthguards available to athletes today. For descriptions of the various types of mouthguards, visit the Types of Mouthguards page.

How to treat dental sports injuries:

For a complete description of the recommendations of the American Association of Endodontists please see Treatment of Avulsed Teeth at the AAE web site.

The main concepts concerning the treatment of avulsed teeth are:

  • If the injured player shows signs of concussion [unconsciousness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, blurred vision, etc.] seek medical treatment immediately.

  • Do not pick up or hold the tooth by the root! Hold it by the crown of the tooth.

  • If the tooth is clean and undamaged, an attempt to replant the tooth should be made.

  • Never try to replant a baby tooth! If in doubt, find a dentist before attempting anything.

  • If the tooth is dirty, contaminated or damaged place the tooth in a solution for transportation.
    The best solutions are [in order from best to worst]:

    - Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution

    - Cold whole milk

    - Saliva [place tooth in the cheek of the patient]

    - Saline solution

    - Water [only as a last resort]

  • Never place a tooth in gauze or tissue!

  • Never try to clean off the root of a tooth! It may be damaged permanently.



If a tooth is cracked, broken or partially knocked out by a blow to the face:

  • Attempt to find the broken piece[s]

  • Try to stop any bleeding with pressure

  • A bag of crushed ice in a towel will help reduce pain and swelling

  • Call your dentist as soon as possible to determine if immediate treatment is required.

The American Dental Association recommends that custom mouthguards be worn when participating in many sports, including:

  • Basketball

  • Boxing

  • Football

  • Gymnastics/Acrobatics

  • Hockey [ice hockey, roller hockey and field hockey]

  • Skateboarding

  • Skiing

  • Soccer

  • Volleyball

  • Water Polo

  • Weightlifting

  • Wrestling

The American Dental Association also has stated that the use of custom mouthguards has been shown to reduce the incidence of concussions during participation in athletics. In fact, several studies have demonstrated the decrease in concussions, including the classic study by Stenger in 1964 which used the Notre Dame football team as subjects. Other studies published in 1979 by Heintz and 1985 by Chapman have confirmed these findings. A study published in 1967 by Hickey further demonstrated that intracranial pressure and bone deformation is greatly reduced during a traumatic episode when wearing a custom mouthguard.

For more information on sports dentistry, please visit Sports Dentistry Online..