Mouth (and tooth) injuries are all too common. The majority of all dental injuries — around eighty percent — involve the front teeth and soft tissues, like the tongue, lips, and the insides of the cheeks. For adults and older adolescents, sports are the usual cause of dental injury. In young children, tooth and mouth injuries often come when learning to walk. Though you can’t protect your children at all times, vigilance when your toddler is taking her first steps can help.
Even bigger kids can learn to play safe and protect their mouths. Here are some tips for preventing sports-related dental injuries:
- Wear a mouth guard. This is the number one way to protect your teeth and mouth.
- Wear a face cage. Certain sports positions — like the baseball/softball catcher and the hockey goalie — are prone to face and mouth injuries. A face cage can help protect you.
- Wear a helmet! Different sports have different helmets, and they don’t usually guard the teeth and mouth — but they do protect the rest of your head. And your head is pretty important, too.
- Pay attention. If your focus drifts, you aren’t even going to see the ball, puck, bat, or racket that hits you.
- Don’t play when you aren’t rested. If you’re tired, you aren’t going to react as quickly. A ball that you could otherwise catch may catch you in the mouth.
- Don’t play when you’re sick. A fever can slow your reaction times, too!
What happens if a tooth gets knocked out? The sooner you can get to a dentist’s office, the better. Your tooth has the highest chance of being saved and returned to the socket if you see your dentist within an hour of injury. Even if your tooth doesn’t survive, you do have the option of a dental implant (an artificial tooth that can be anchored into your jawbone).