Restoring Your Smile with Sports Dentistry Services By Dr. Tanner on September 29, 2015

Children and adults who play sports are more prone to certain types of dental injuries. Sports dentistry is an area of dentistry aimed at preventing and treating sports-related dental injuries. Restorative dentistry treatments are a big part of sports dentistry services, and can performed to repair minor to severe damage. To find out which treatments are right for your specific needs, we welcome you to schedule a consultation with South Ogden cosmetic dentist Patrick Tanner.

Common Sports-related Dental Injuries

Sports-related injuries can lead to major dental damage. Seeking immediate dental care is key to treating these types of dental injuries. Some common injuries that athletes need to be aware of and guard themselves against include:

Knocked out teeth: Taking a hard hit to the face, whether from a ball, sports equipment, or even another player on the field, can knock a tooth out of its socket. If immediate action is not taken, the tooth may be permanently lost. In the event a tooth is knocked out, it may be saved if you can get to a dentist within 30 minutes. Place the tooth in cold milk if available, or saliva if milk is not available, to keep the tooth from drying out while in transport. Don't touch the tooth's root and don't try to reinsert the tooth yourself.
Chipped or fractured teeth: Dental chips or fractures are another common type of dental damage caused by sports. In some cases, dental chips may be so severe as to leave the pulp tissue of a damaged tooth exposed. If the pulp tissue is exposed, it's important to see a dentist immediately to prevent further damage.
Displaced teeth: Teeth may become displaced, which means moved out of place, if hit hard enough. Displaced teeth require immediate dental treatment, however, you should not attempt to move the tooth back in place on your own.

Sports Dentistry Services

Preventing sports-related injuries is optimal. Wearing a mouth guard while playing sports can help protect the teeth from injury. There are a variety of mouth guard options. Determining which is best for your needs, or your child's needs, is best discussed between you and your dentist.

If an injury does occur, it's important to seek treatment as soon as possible. Treating sports-related dental damage begins with determining the extent of damage. Fortunately, there are many different types of dental treatments to repair dental damage and restore the smile's appearance. Some popular treatments for dental injuries include:

Porcelain dental crowns: Porcelain dental crowns can restore the appearance and function of severely fractured or damaged teeth.
Porcelain veneers: Porcelain veneers can benefit those who suffer from minor chips in the front facing teeth.
Dental implants: In the unfortunate event a tooth becomes lost due to sports-related injury, dental implants can be used to permanently replace missing teeth.